May 12 2025 Ageing concerns Written by Whiddon

Key Aged Care Changes You and Your Family Should Know

From 1 July 2025, a new Aged Care Act will come into effect – and with it, a renewed focus on what really matters: ensuring that older Australians are at the centre of every care decision.

At Whiddon, we know that families want to feel confident, informed and supported when it comes to aged care. These reforms offer an opportunity to make the system clearer, more personalised, and most importantly, built around the rights and needs of the individual.

Whether you’re exploring aged care for the first time or are already part of our aged care community, here’s what you need to know.

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Why Are These Changes Being Introduced?

The new Aged Care Act is part of the Government’s broader reform agenda, developed in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The Commission highlighted the need for a more person-centred system – one that better protects the rights of older Australians and ensures consistent, high-quality care.

The new legislation aims to:

Shift from a provider-centred model to a rights-based, person-first approach
Improve access, safety and quality of aged care
Create a more consistent and transparent system

Key Changes You and Your Family Should Know

The new Aged Care Act introduces several important updates. Here are some of the main ones that may impact you or your loved one:

1. A Clear Statement of Rights

At the heart of the new Act is a Statement of Rights for older people receiving care. This includes the right to:

Be treated with dignity and respect
Make choices about their care and daily life
Access information and advocate for their needs
Be safe, free from abuse and neglect

These rights must be respected by all aged care providers, helping older people and their families feel empowered and heard.

2. A Stronger Focus on Person-Centred Care

Services will need to be tailored to each individual, reflecting their preferences, routines, culture, and goals. Providers will be expected to take the time to listen, understand and adapt care to suit the person – not the other way around.

This is something we’re already passionate about at Whiddon, where our relationship-based care model ensures each person is known, valued and supported in a way that’s meaningful to them.

3. A Simpler, More Consistent System

The new Act introduces a more consistent approach to aged care access and service delivery:

A single assessment process will replace the current multiple systems (such as ACAT and RAS, the previous assessors for aged care services)
Care will be aligned across home care, residential care and respite care
Information will be easier to access, helping families understand their options and entitlements

4. Modernised Governance and Oversight

The new Act strengthens the regulatory framework through:

Clearer provider responsibilities and governance requirements
A strengthened Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, with greater powers to investigate complaints and enforce standards
Tougher measures to identify and manage provider risks

5. A New Model for Support at Home

Coinciding with the new Aged Care Act, the Support at Home Program will launch on 1 July 2025. This program replaces existing government-funded home care services and introduces:

A new funding classification system to better match services to individual needs
Quarterly budgets for greater transparency and flexibility
Price caps on services to protect consumers from unfair costs will commence from 1 July 2026

These updates aim to ensure that people receiving support at home can do so safely, confidently and affordably.

For more on this, read our latest explainer on the changes coming to home care.

What This Means for You and Your Family

These reforms offer a positive step forward, but we know change can still feel uncertain. If you’re caring for a loved one or considering aged care for the first time, here’s how the new Act may help:

You’ll have clearer information about services and providers
Your loved one’s rights will be formally protected and upheld
The process of accessing aged care will become simpler
You’ll have more say in choosing the right care for your situation

Hearing About Aged Care in the News? Here’s Some Reassurance

You may have seen recent news stories about concerns raised in the aged care sector, particularly around resident safety, satisfaction, and the quality of care being delivered.

These reports often reference national initiatives such as the Resident Experience Surveys (REX), National Quality Indicators (NQIs), and care minutes reporting, which have been introduced by the Government to bring greater transparency to aged care across Australia.

These tools are important. They allow the sector, providers, consumers and families to see where improvements are needed. However, it’s important to recognise that these reports capture a wide range of data across many different homes – and don’t always tell the full story for every provider or every resident.

At Whiddon, we believe it’s essential to be open and honest about the experiences of our residents and families. That’s why we’ve developed our own independent reporting framework, called our True Colours Reports. These reports provide a transparent look at the feedback we receive and the steps we’re taking to continuously improve.

Here’s some of what our latest True Colours findings show:

91% of our residents are satisfied with their overall experience in our residential homes – an increase from the previous year.
98% of residents agree that our people are kind, caring, and respectful.
94% of family members agree that their loved ones feel safe in our care.
100% of our residential aged care homes are meeting or exceeding the Government’s mandated care minute targets.
24/7 Registered Nurse coverage is provided across all Whiddon homes, with exemptions only at locations permitted due to size and regional classification.

We’re proud of these results, but we also know that maintaining trust means always striving to do better. Our governance, training, and care quality programs continue to evolve to meet the needs of our residents today and into the future.

If you would like to read more, you can view our full True Colours Reports.

Whiddon’s Commitment to Person-Centred Care

At Whiddon, we’ve long believed in the principles driving this reform. Our award-winning model of care already puts people, not processes, at the centre.

We’re committed to:

Listening deeply and adapting to individual needs
Providing transparency and support through every stage of the aged care journey
Advocating for dignity, independence and wellbeing in everything we do

As more changes are implemented, we’ll continue to adapt and guide our community with clarity and compassion.

Where to Learn More

The information in this blog is current as of April 2025 and is based on guidance from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.

As aged care reform continues to evolve, we encourage readers to visit the following website for the most up-to-date details: https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/new-aged-care-act