Aged Care Act reforms: What you need to know

We know how important it is for older people to access services and supports as soon as they need them, so they can live independently for as long as possible.

Due to commence on 1 November 2025, a once-in-a-generation reform to Australia’s aged care system will happen. The new system will be a rights-based system which aims to put older people at the centre of their care.

The introduction of the new Aged Care Act aims to make it easier to access My Aged Care, provide more flexibility in services, strengthen standards of care and introduce some new funding streams, particularly for those who wish to stay at home in the last weeks of life.

Healthy North Coast is working to give primary health professionals like GPs and practice nurses up-to-date information about the system to share with patients and with residential aged care providers to prepare for the changes in quality standards.

Some of the changes include:

• Streamlined assessments for services
• Support at Home Program – more flexible 8 levels of support program to replace the current Home Care Package
• Stronger quality and safety standards
• New End of Life Pathway packages following an assessment by a GP or nurse practitioner

There are several resources available to keep you informed. We recommend:

• Healthy North Coast’s Aged Care Reform info page
• Older Persons Advocacy Network’s webinar: Discusses what the new Aged Care Act means for older people and their families
• My Aged Care explainer pages provided by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
• Improving Australia’s aged care system – My Aged Care

The Australian Government is inviting feedback through its ‘Improving Aged Care in Australia’ survey, open to older people, their families and carers. It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

For information you can contact My Aged Care or visit your Services Australia office to speak to a My Aged Care specialist. Care finders are also there to support people who need additional support to navigate the system. More information can be found on Healthy North Coast’s Healthy Ageing page.