Sector News

This plan gives an overview of the resources, grouped by topic, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has published to help the aged care sector prepare for the new Aged Care Act.

The University of South Australia is seeking interest from residential aged care providers to participate in a 12-week pilot study (commencing in early 2026). It will test the feasibility and usability of a series of medication management quality indicators from the PHARMA-Care National Quality Framework (4.86MB pdf) that has been recently launched. Residential aged care homes that have the residential medication management review (RMMR) or the on-site pharmacist (ACOP) model are eligible to participate. Participating aged care homes will be provided with training, resources and ongoing support. Remuneration will be offered to RACHs for participation. Feedback from RACHs through the pilot will help ensure the indicators are effective in improving medication safety and quality in aged care settings. For more information about the project and to express interest in participating, please visit the PHARMA-Care project website or contact A/Prof Janet Sluggett (project lead) via email: ALH-PHARMA-Care@unisa.edu.au.

Please send your expression of interest by Friday 19 December 2025. 

Country SA PHN, Adelaide PHN, and Palliative Care Connect have partnered to deliver two informative webinars covering the new End-of-Life Pathway, part of the Support at Home program which commenced 1 November 2025 as part of the Aged Care Act 2024. These online webinars are tailored for GPs, practice nurses, and other primary health and aged care professionals, and will provide a broad overview of the End-of-Life Pathway, which has been designed to provide enhanced support for older people to remain at home/ in place during end-of-life.
There will be two 45 minute webinar sessions held on Wednesday 3 December 2025:
Session 1: 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM Register now
Session 2: 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM Register now
Please note that both sessions cover the same content. 

The Dementia in Australia report captures the latest data and information on dementia in Australia. The report shows that there were around 425,000 people living with dementia in Australia in 2024, equivalent to 16 people with dementia per 1,000 Australians. The number of people living with dementia is expected to more than double to over 1 million by 2065 due to Australia’s growing and ageing population. In 2023, dementia was the leading cause of death in Australia, with 17,400 deaths (or 9.5% of all deaths), an increase from 8,500 deaths in 2009. 

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released new support documents to help providers as they transition to the new aged care system. The following documents have been released

• Information for providers regarding the new Support at Home service agreements includes links to a template for establishing a service agreement, information on the transition to new agreements, participant contributions and pricing.
• A key messages document for older people currently receiving support through a home care package and who are transitioning to Support at Home on 1 November.
• The department has also published the policy on submitting a complaint about a registered supporter to the System Governor and the possible outcomes of the complaint-making process.
• The policy on information sharing requirements relating to registered supporters has also been published in anticipation of the Act commencement.
• A factsheet on how residential care providers can prepare for success in a competitive market has been made available.
• • Two factsheets on changes to how residential care places are being allocated to better embed choice and control for older people. One is for providers and one is for consumers.

Ms Treasure Jennings has been appointed as the new Aged Care Complaints Commissioner, starting 1 November. The Complaints Commissioner will:

• oversee the receipt, management and resolution of complaints 
• help older people understand how to make a complaint and how complaints will be resolved, and
• support providers to have systems in place to effectively manage complaints and feedback.

Applications are now open for the Aged Care Nursing Scholarships Program (2.53MB pdf).
This program offers valuable opportunities for:

• aged care workers to complete formal nursing qualifications  
• registered & enrolled nurses to develop leadership and clinical management skills to progress their careers.   

There are 1,050 scholarships available, with a guaranteed allocation for First Nations people. Eligible courses include vocational education training, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. To apply or learn more, visit the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners website

Service providers need to establish new agreements or vary existing service agreements for clients transitioning Home Care Package recipients. From 1 October, providers can access Support at Home estimated contribution rates in the Aged Care Provider Portal. These rates are for most older people who currently receive a Home Care Package.

Hammondcare is bringing together three of its research centres,  The Dementia Centre, The Palliative Centre, and The Centre for Positive Ageing, to create Hammond Innovations. They seek to create solutions that can rapidly be applied into practice.  Partnerships with technology, university and philanthropic partners along with other sector providers will underpin the Hammond Innovations approach.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has developed an updated roadmap to help providers prepare for the new Aged Care Act, which starts on 1 November. The roadmap outlines key dates and milestones for:  

• digital and systems 
• education and training  
• legislation and policy  
• sector and operational readiness.