Older Australians don’t pause their lives so that policy changes can catch up. In fact, the opposite has been the case in the last year since the Aged Care Act 2024 implementation began: thousands of people have been left waiting for the care they need while providers adjust to the new requirements.
Older people’s ‘rights’ are the focus of the new Act, but has that shift been reflected in practice? While high-priority seniors could expect their Support at Home funding in about a month, standard-priority people faced estimated wait times of seven to eight months. So as we’re at the one year mark of the new Act, it’s a good opportunity to stop and ask: what are the access gaps and how can we, as an industry, close them?
What the Act changed
The Act kicked in on 1 November 2025, bringing with it a Code of Conduct for providers to follow, the new Financial and Prudential Standards and statutory duties of care, as well as the somewhat problematic Support at Home program.
Anchoring the Act is a Statement of Rights, foregrounding an older person’s right to independence, autonomy, empowerment and freedom of choice when it comes to their own lives. This person-centred, rights-based approach was a much needed update – on paper, it sounds like exactly what the industry needed. But in practice, gaps in access to care have inadvertently begun to erode the Act’s promise.
Shortly after the Act commenced, a senate inquiry into Support at Home began in late November 2025. Industry bodies and consumers alike were invited to give submissions around the country and the resulting report is due in a matter of weeks.
Additional changes have followed in 2026, too.
From 21 August, the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) was extended, and on October 1, Support at Home personal care contributions were moved into the clinical category (now zero out-of-pocket cost to participants). Yet the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) faced widespread criticism from geriatricians, advocacy groups, unions, and the Commonwealth Ombudsman for its lack of human-override.
Needless to say, the last 12 months have been tumultuous – for providers, government, older persons, and their families.
The government’s ‘score card’
Much of the focus has been on how providers have implemented the new Act. But there’s been a lot of scrutiny placed on the government this past year.
Let’s look at the numbers:
- Completed assessments rose from 127,649 (Oct to Dec 2025) to 140,028 (Apr to Jun 2026).
- Support at Home ongoing services grew 20% in the year, according the The Department.
- 390,901 people held an ongoing Support at Home place (at 30 June), up from 292,911 a year earlier – yet 106,977 were still waiting for theirs.
In a recent interview, Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said, “We’re trying to rebuild the aged care system at the same time as an ageing population is driving unprecedented demand upon it.”
This points to a core issue of the last year, which is the waitlist. Even the Minister acknowledged it: “That’s not how people experience the system. How they experience the system is the time that they personally have to wait to receive their care.”
The industry is up in arms
The lengthy wait times are one amongst many concerns echoed across the industry.
Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said: “But among all the praise for reforms aimed at improving the lives of older people, one stark truth was left largely unsaid. The Aged Care Act may give older people rights in aged care, but it does not ensure that care will be available in the first place.”
And while the AAP reports national bed occupancy at 95%, Symondson pointed out that an October funding decision forced providers to shelve plans for more than 4000 beds. It’s left many wondering if Australia can actually afford, and build, the aged care it needs.
What aged care boards should watch in year two
As we move into year two of the new Act, boards should keep a close eye on:
- The independent review of both the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) and the Single Assessment System (SAS), expected to be tabled in the first half of 2027
- The transition of CHSP from now until 2029
- The ongoing bed supply versus funding conversation, and
- The 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, which is open now.
Closing the gaps
The evidence of improvement won’t be found in what the Act promises, but what the older person experiences.
Next November, ask two questions. How long did the person wait? And if the assessment got them wrong, could anyone change it? Rights on paper matter only if both answers improve.
