New rights-based Aged Care Act and funding principles
DAI invites members to provide feedback to the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia and the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) inform the Australian Government of your views on two major reforms:
the new Aged Care Act and the rights and other foundational aspects it contains, and
funding principles for a sustainable aged care system.
COTA and OPAN are holding consultations in August and September 2023 to provide all Australians with a platform to share their knowledge, insights and importantly, to provide their feedback about the draft new Aged Care Act.
The new Aged Care Act is still being developed. The department has been engaging with key stakeholders on components of the new Act, and it is now seeking feedback on the foundations of the new Act.
This public consultation will close on 8 September 2023. The current consultation will further inform the drafting of the new Act.
To have your say about the future of aged care, you can:
register for in-person consultation forums in August - September 2023 across Australia, where you will have the opportunity to provide feedback in a safe and inclusive setting
share your views on the future funding of aged care in a COTA/OPAN Aged Care Funding Principles Survey - available soon.
You can also provide your feedback directly to the Australian Government via surveys and submissions.
More information about the new Aged Care Act:
What are the key differences between the new Act and the existing Act?
The Royal Commission found that the current Aged Care Act is structured around providers and how to fund them – not about the people accessing services and what they need.
The new Act will, where possible, follow the journey of older people within the system, prioritising their individual needs over the funding of providers. It will clearly set out the obligations of aged care providers and legislative requirements that protect the rights of older people in Australia to safe, quality care.
The new Act will:
place older Australians at the heart of the aged care system
outline the rights of older Australians who are seeking to access, or are accessing, funded aged care services
provide a single system entry point with clear eligibility requirements to simplify access to the system
incorporate a fair, culturally safe single assessment framework
establish new system oversight and accountability arrangements
introduce a new risk-based regulatory model designed to increase provider accountability and encourage the delivery of high-quality and safe aged care services
strengthen the enforcement powers of the Commission.
More information is available on the department’s website: