Transforming aged care

A range of changes are being made to aged care, in response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

The changes to aged care in Australia aim to achieve six key outcomes:

Our progress to date

Since the Royal Commission into Aged Care Final Report, we have made a range of improvements to aged care, including:

Our plan for aged care reforms in 2023

Some major reforms are ongoing, and we will continue to progress a range of initiatives including:

  • reforming in-home aged care

  • developing a new rights-based Aged Care Act

  • designing a new regulatory framework

  • building, training and supporting a compassionate, diverse workforce.

  • ensuring registered nurses are on-site and on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in residential aged care homes

  • ensuring increased care minutes with registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal care workers in residential aged care homes

  • implementing the National Dementia Action Plan

  • ensuring aged care services are safe and culturally appropriate for First Nations Elders

  • creating a better-connected aged care IT network to support the broader suite of reforms

Council of Elders

A recommendation from the Royal Commission, the Council of Elders, is a group of older people from diverse backgrounds with lived experiences of ageing and aged care. They play an important role in representing the views of all older people in Australia and provide advice to the Government about aged care reform and ageing well.

Read more about the Council of Elders.

National Aged Care Advisory Council

Also a recommendation from the Royal Commission, the National Aged Care Advisory Council provides expert advice to Government on the aged care sector to support the implementation of the reforms. The advisory council is made up of leaders from across the not-for-profit, government and private sectors, and reports directly to the Minister for Health and Aged Care, and the Minister Aged Care.

Read more about the National Aged Care Advisory Council.

Get involved

There are a range of ways you can be involved in the reforms, including surveys, webinars, online workshops, consultation papers and face-to-face events.

GET INVOLVED

Older Australians

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter EngAged, for updates on changes to aged care, news from the Council of Elders and alerts about upcoming consultation activities.

SIGN UP Past editions

Aged care workers and providers

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Your Aged Care Update, for news and alerts about the aged care reforms, and information for the sector.

SIGN UP Past editions

Older Australians

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter EngAged, for updates on changes to aged care, news from the Council of Elders and alerts about upcoming consultation activities.

SIGN UP Past editions

Aged care workers and providers

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Your Aged Care Update, for news and alerts about the aged care reforms, and information for the sector.

SIGN UP Past editions

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.