Australia is entering a transformative phase in its delivery of aged care. On 1 November 2025, the Aged Care Act 2024 officially commenced alongside the launch of the landmark Support at Home program. These once-in-a-generation reforms are the culmination of years of review, sector advocacy, and collaborative effort across the aged care industry, government, and community stakeholders. For all involved in healthcare recruitment and aged services, these changes set a bold new standard -prioritising dignity, choice, and the rights of older Australians.
Why These Reforms Matter
The background to these reforms lies in the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which revealed deep systemic neglect within Australia’s aged care sector. The new Act responds to 58 critical recommendations made by the Commission and signals a pivotal shift from a provider-driven model to one where older Australians are empowered as active participants in their care journey.
Central to the reforms is a rights-based foundation that enshrines the legal rights of aged care recipients. The Aged Care Act 2024 specifies not only the rights and principles underpinning care but also clear regulatory duties for providers and an accountability framework that touches every aspect of service delivery—from community-based supports to specialist residential facilities.
Key Features of the Aged Care Act 2024
1. Individual Choice and Control
Rather than being passive recipients of care, older Australians will now exercise choice and autonomy comparable to other healthcare settings. Residential care places – previously allocated to providers – are now assigned directly to individuals. This shift enables people to choose the facility that best meets their needs and preferences, and to move when care requirements change.
For those seeking to remain at home, the $4.3 billion Support at Home program has replaced previous Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care with a model geared toward flexible, tailored support for over 83,000 people in the first year alone.
2. Streamlined Assessment and Entry
A new single assessment pathway has been legislated, ending years of variable and sometimes confusing access arrangements. Whether seeking home care or residential placement, older Australians now benefit from a fair, culturally safe assessment process, with median wait times reduced to under one month. This single-entry system makes navigating care options clearer and more accessible, easing the burden on families and providers.
3. Strengthened Quality Standards and Provider Accountability
All providers must now register under the new model and deliver care in line with elevated Aged Care Quality Standards, designed to ensure safety, dignity, and continuous improvement. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has been given enhanced powers for oversight – enabling more frequent monitoring, stronger enforcement, and proportionate penalties for breaches of the Act.
Notably, new compliance and enforcement pathways have been introduced. Providers who do not meet standards can be issued ‘required action’ notices or civil penalties, ensuring accountability and swift remediation for issues impacting quality and safety.
4. Workforce Investment and Staffing Improvements
Since Labor returned to government, $18 billion has been committed to increase award wages for aged care workers. Registered nurses are now present in over 99% of aged care homes, providing more direct care to more than 250,000 older people every day. The Act also requires regular assessment and reporting on staffing adequacy, supporting clearer career development pathways and improved standards for workers across the sector.
5. Funding and Means Testing
The reforms maintain means-tested co-contribution funding, with new nuanced thresholds for care fees and government subsidies. Assessments of financial eligibility and care requirements are now streamlined, promoting equity while enhancing access to specialist programs and flexible care settings. For most, the ‘No worse off’ principle applies, ensuring continuity for current users and predictable costs for newcomers.
6. Cultural Safety and Inclusion
Critical funding has been allocated for culturally safe, trauma-aware, and healing-informed care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older adults. Support is in place to enable more Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to be approved as aged care providers-helping the sector move toward genuine reconciliation and person-centered inclusion.
Implications for Healthcare Recruitment and Providers
For recruitment agencies and providers, the reforms create both challenges and opportunities. The demand for skilled nurses, care workers, allied health practitioners, and culturally competent support staff is growing rapidly as new places and programs come online. Aged care organisations must now meet higher compliance thresholds, enact transparent career development pathways, and deliver continuous professional development to keep pace with expectations.
MediRec is committed to serving both providers and candidates through this transition. As regulatory models tighten and quality standards rise, our focus on best-in-class recruitment means leveraging the right mix of expertise, values, and adaptability. Providers ready to excel under the new legislative framework will be those attracting and retaining talent who share these aspirations.
Adapting to the New Support at Home Program
The new Support at Home program marks a significant change in the way care is delivered to those wishing to remain in their communities. Flexible packages offer tailored combinations of nursing, allied health supports, personal care, and assistive technologies-designed to maintain independence and connection for as long as possible. This shift directly impacts the recruitment landscape: community care workers, mobile therapists, and specialist home support teams will be in higher demand than ever before.
Providers will need to ensure best-practice onboarding and ongoing training, especially for staff delivering culturally sensitive and trauma-informed services. As assessment and entry processes become streamlined, recruitment agencies can play a critical role by helping clients interpret eligibility, navigate funding, and optimise placements under the new rules.
Overall Sector Impact and Future Directions
The Aged Care Act 2024 is not the end of reform but a foundation for sustainable progress. Ongoing consultation and review are built into its implementation – with regular opportunities for feedback from older people, care workers, and families. Regulatory bodies like the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and the Department of Health and Aged Care will continue to oversee outcomes, adapting enforcement and support as the sector evolves.
As aged care grows more person-centered, holistic, and accountable, the profession itself stands to be transformed. For all working in healthcare recruitment, success will depend on agility, empathy, and the drive to help build a sector Australians can be proud of.
Final Thoughts
Australia’s aged care reforms represent a generational milestone. For healthcare professionals and organisations, the challenge and opportunity is to turn improvement into lasting transformation. At MediRec, supporting industry partners and talent through this new era remains central to the mission-connecting care, quality, and compassion for Australia’s older adults.
For more information, visit the Department of Health’s Aged Care Act portal or contact MediRec for tailored recruitment and onboarding solutions.