Aged care reforms a journey, not a destination
One year after the introduction of Australia's new Aged Care Act, National Seniors Australia says the focus must shift to making the new system work for older Australians.
On 1 November 2025, aged care entered a new chapter with the commencement of the Aged Care Act 2024.
Twelve months later, the anniversary has prompted considerable debate about what has worked, what hasn't, and whether older Australians are better off.
Commentary on the challenges is abundant. Long waiting times, concerns about aged care assessments, new funding arrangements and pressures on residential aged care have understandably attracted attention.
Anniversaries should be more than an opportunity to revisit what has gone wrong. They should also provide an opportunity to recognise progress, learn from experience and consider what happens next.
At National Seniors Australia (NSA), we believe the first year should be viewed as the beginning of a longer process of improvement, not the final measure of success.
The real test is whether legislative changes translate into better access, greater choice, safer care and improved outcomes for older Australians.
A stronger foundation
The new Act marks an important shift in how Australia approaches aged care.
The Statement of Rights places dignity, independence, choice and supported decision-making at the centre of the legislative framework.
Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and new regulatory arrangements also place greater emphasis on accountability, person-centred care and provider responsibilities.
These changes establish clearer expectations about how older Australians should be treated and the quality of care they should receive.
However, legislation alone cannot deliver better care.
These “rights” must be reflected in everyday experiences, from the first assessment through to receiving support at home or entering residential aged care.
Success must ultimately be measured not by what the legislation promises, but by what older Australians experience.
Looking beyond aged care
NSA believes Australia must confront a broader question.
Are we planning for the health and aged care needs of an ageing population over the next 10, 20 and 30 years?
Aged care cannot be considered in isolation from the broader health system.
This longer-term thinking underpins NSA's Brisbane 2032 Healthy Ageing Precinct proposal.
In his interview on 4BC Mr Grice questioned whether the Games infrastructure could deliver a more meaningful and lasting legacy for older Australians.
"Rather than it go to developers, why shouldn't it go to some sort of ageing innovation and rehabilitation hub?" Mr Grice asked.
Located near the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Herston Health Precinct, the proposal offers an opportunity to better integrate hospital care, rehabilitation, transition care, aged care and community services.
“You could just about throw a javelin from the Games Village…across to the Royal Brisbane Hospital.” Mr Grice said.
The proposal is not simply about building another aged care facility. It connects services, reduces avoidable hospital stays, and ensures older Australians receive the right care, in the right setting, at the right time.
Brisbane 2032 presents Queenslanders with an opportunity to move beyond short-term solutions and create a lasting health and ageing legacy for future generations. Learn more about our Fair Hub concept.
Recognising progress while acknowledging challenges
Recent figures from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing provide some encouraging signs.
Between April and June 2026, the government released 131,017 Support at Home places.
At 30 June, 390,901 people had an ongoing Support at Home place, including those receiving services and those considering an offer. This is up from 292,911 at 30 June 2025, almost 100,000 additional packages.
Departmental estimates also showed that people assessed as high priority could expect to receive funding in approximately one month, while those in the standard priority category faced estimated waits of seven to eight months.
These figures demonstrate progress in releasing funding and prioritising people with greater needs.
However, 106,977 people were still waiting for an ongoing Support at Home place at the end of June, and that number needs to come down.
For an older person who needs assistance with everyday activities, even several months can significantly affect their independence, wellbeing and ability to remain safely at home.
Speaking to 4BC on 2 November, NSA’s Chief Executive Officer Chris Grice acknowledged the progress while emphasising that more work remains.
"It's not perfect. There's still a heck of a lot of work to go," Mr Grice said.
When asked what would make the most immediate difference, Mr Grice offered a simple solution.
"If I could wave the fairy dust ... it would be basically to release more packages."
His message was clear: increasing the availability of Support at Home places is essential to reducing delays and ensuring older Australians receive care when they need it, rather than waiting until their circumstances deteriorate.
Mr Grice also welcomed the government's decision to defer the planned transition of the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) into Support at Home until 2029, recognising the importance of getting the system right rather than rushing further changes.
Recognising progress does not mean overlooking shortcomings. It means acknowledging what is working while maintaining pressure for further change.
A system that must learn and improve
Introducing a substantially different aged care system was always going to be complex.
Over the past year, older Australians, families, assessors, providers and care workers have been navigating new arrangements while continuing to deliver and receive essential services.
Some implementation challenges were foreseeable. Others have become clearer as the system has been tested in practice.
This is why continuous improvement, transparency and responsiveness are essential.
One area requiring particular attention is the Single Assessment System and its Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), which helps determine Support at Home classifications and priority categories.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman's October 2026 investigation identified serious concerns about how automated assessment decisions are administered and overseen.
The government has responded with legislative changes establishing an additional review pathway and commitments to further review assessment and classification arrangements.
While this has been welcomed, questions remain about whether the tool allocates packages fairly and reflects what people actually need.
NSA believes technology can support efficient and consistent assessments, but it must accurately assess a person’s needs.
A rights-based aged care system must be able to listen, learn, and correct any deficiencies.
Year two: Turning reform into better outcomes
While the foundations are strong, substantial work remains.
For NSA, the priorities for the second year are clear:
- Timely access to care: Continue reducing assessment and funding delays, particularly for those with urgent or changing needs.
- Commonwealth Home Support Programme: Provide additional capital support to encourage construction of new residential aged care beds in the places that need them to alleviate pressures from patients experiencing delayed discharge from hospital.
- Residential care capacity: Providing additional capital support to encourage construction of new aged care beds in the places that need them to alleviate pressures from patients experiencing delayed discharge from hospital.
- Assessment safeguards: Review the efficacy of the assessment tool, strengthen transparency, clinical judgement and human oversight.
- Rights in practice: Ensure the Statement of Rights translates into better experiences, greater choice and improved accountability.
- Navigating change: Help older Australians understand the new care arrangements, fees, contributions and available support.
- Future capacity: Address workforce shortages, residential aged care capacity and the connections between hospitals, rehabilitation and community care.
Reform of this scale cannot be judged solely on its first 12 months. Equally, implementation challenges cannot simply be dismissed as teething problems.
They provide valuable evidence about what needs to improve.
NSA will continue to acknowledge progress, challenge shortcomings and advocate for practical solutions that deliver lasting change.
The next chapter must be about more than making a new aged care system work. It must be about building a system that can support Australia's ageing population, today and into the future.
Because better ageing outcomes require more than aged care reform alone. They require a bigger picture, a longer-term vision and the willingness to plan differently.
NSA will continue to play its role by gathering evidence and communicating the views of older people to federal, state and territory governments.
If you care about the future of aged care, please sign up to our aged care campaign for updates and keep an eye out for our research surveys on health, aged care and other important issues.
Sources DHDA, DHDA Support at Home Program, DHDA CHSP, Automation and oversight in Aged Care, NSA Aged Act review needed , Future Ageing, Innovation and Rehabilitation (FAIR) hub
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