The much-anticipated Aged Care Act 2024 came into effect on 1 November 2025, marking one of the most significant reforms in recent memory for the aged care sector. This reform follows the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and introduces a new rights-based model for aged care, with the new Support at Home Program at its heart.
If you are one of the many Australian aged care providers, this article explains what’s changed, what the new rights and responsibilities mean, and how these reforms will affect you.
Why the Aged Care Act 2024 Was Introduced
The Royal Commission uncovered many recurring issues in the aged care system: inconsistent quality of care, lack of transparency for older people and their families, limited consumer rights, and a system structured more around funding providers than protecting people.
In response, the Aged Care Act 2024 introduces a rights-based framework that places older people at the centre of the system. The aim is to simplify how care is accessed, strengthen accountability, and bring both residential and home-based services under a model that emphasises respect, choice and control for recipients.
Key Changes Under the New Aged Care Act (Effective 1 November 2025)
The aged care changes 2025 introduce a number of significant reforms aimed at putting older Australians at the centre of the system. From a clear Statement of Rights to stronger oversight and updated Quality Standards, these changes are designed to ensure that care is safe, person‑centred, and transparent. Below is a closer look at the key updates all providers and recipients should be aware of.
- Statement of Rights – Older Australians now have a clearly defined set of rights when accessing government-funded aged care services. This means the system acknowledges that older people should expect respect, choice and control over their care.
- New Provider Registration Model – All aged care providers must now register under a refreshed regulatory framework, which categorises services based on risk and complexity. The idea is to ensure that providers are matched appropriately to the care they deliver and held accountable accordingly.
- Revised Aged Care Quality Standards – The updated standards refocus on person-centred care, safety and quality outcomes rather than simply box-ticking. Providers must meet higher expectations around outcomes for older people.
- Stronger Oversight and Enforcement – The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has expanded powers for compliance and monitoring, meaning that providers are under greater scrutiny and older people’s rights are more enforceable.
- Changes in Fees and Means Testing – In residential aged care and home-based services, new means-tested fees and thresholds aim to improve the fairness and sustainability of the system. The reform recognises that the sector must remain viable over the long term while protecting people’s interests.
- Transparency and Accountability – Providers must publish more detailed information on performance, pricing, staffing and outcomes. This empowers older Australians (and their families) to make informed choices.
These reforms reflect the broader shift in the agenda for Australian aged care providers: moving from a paternalistic, provider-centric model to one that is rights-based, transparent and centred on the individual.
How the Support at Home Program Fits Into the Reform
The Support at Home program, launched on the same date (1 November 2025), is an integral part of the reform agenda. It replaces the previous home-care frameworks and brings them under a unified model.
Specifically:
- It consolidates multiple existing home support schemes (for example, the Home Care Packages Program and the Short‑Term Restorative Care Programme) into a single streamlined model.
- It’s designed to simplify access to in-home care services, giving older people more flexibility and control over their funding and care choices.
- It also improves transparency around costs and service quality, aligning with the same rights-based framework as the Aged Care Act.
In short: while the Act sets the legal foundation, the Support at Home program is the practical tool through which many older Australians will experience the changes. For those who prefer to age safely and independently at home, this new arrangement is designed to support that aim.
Implications for Aged Care Providers
If you are one of the many Australian aged care providers, the reform means you must prepare for a number of operational and strategic shifts:
- New registration and compliance processes: your service will need to align with the new registration model, ensuring the appropriate risk/complexity category and regulatory obligations.
- Training and quality-management upgrades: staff and systems must be ready to meet the revised Quality Standards and demonstrate person-centred outcomes.
- Adjustments to service pricing, reporting and governance: transparency requirements will increase, and financial models (especially for home-based services) may change.
- Ensuring continuity of care during transition: providers must ensure that existing clients’ services are not disrupted while adapting to new systems and models.
To offer the providers valuable advice on how to handle the situation after they have made this transition, SAH Consulting can provide the necessary guidance and help them feel confident about what they are about to enter. The transition to the Support at Home model, combined with the new rules and registration requirements, may be daunting, especially if you’re trying to keep your operations running smoothly. This is where SAH Consulting comes in.
Our team assists the providers in understanding the new regulations and in developing good and compliant applications, and creating the policy and procedure documents that will be needed in the new framework. We also collaborate with organisations to troubleshoot issues, minimise delays and ensure that all actions of the process are done in the right way.
When you have SAH Consulting on board, you don’t need to worry about the intricacies of the Support at Home registration and the wider aged care reforms and can get on with the business of delivering quality care.
Moving Towards a Fairer, Rights-Based Aged Care Future
The Aged Care Act 2024 and the Support at Home Program mark a significant step forward toward a more person-centred, transparent, and accountable aged-care system in Australia. The reforms are designed to ensure older people are treated with respect, given choice and control, and supported to live well, whether at home or in a residential setting. For Australian aged care providers, the message is clear: adapt, align and embrace the shift. For older Australians and their families: this is your rights-based system.
If you’re navigating this new landscape, we encourage you to familiarise yourself with the official resources at My Aged Care or on the health.gov.au website. And if you’re a provider seeking expert help, consider getting in touch with SAH Consulting for support.