ADHA workforce up 24% to 652 staff
ADHA plans a substantial workforce expansion for 2026-27, with net resourcing rising from 486.6 million in 2025-26 to 517.8 million in 2026-27 and the average staffing level climbing from 524 to 652....
Aged Care
Aged Care: Supporting Dignity, Health & Wellbeing in Later Life
Aged care encompasses the services, policies, and supports designed to help older adults live safely, comfortably, and with dignity as they age. It includes residential care, in-home support, community services, and health management tailored to the unique needs of older people. In Australia, aged care remains a critical focus of health and social systems as the population ages and demand for quality, person-centred services grows.
Why Aged Care Matters
As people live longer, the need for effective aged care services increases. Quality aged care supports physical health, mental wellbeing, social connection, and independence. It also provides essential relief and support for families and carers. Strong aged care systems help prevent isolation, manage chronic conditions, and ensure older Australians maintain their dignity and quality of life.
Types of Aged Care Services
Aged care services include in-home support such as personal care, meal preparation, and nursing; community-based programs that promote engagement and mobility; and residential care for those needing round-the-clock support. Many programs are tailored to individual needs, culturally appropriate, and linked with health services to support integrated care.
Aged Care in Australia
Australia’s aged care system includes government-funded home care packages, residential care services, and support for informal carers. Recent reform efforts focus on quality, safety, workforce sustainability, and transparency of care outcomes. With an ageing population, policy, funding, and innovation continue to shape how aged care meets the evolving needs of older Australians.
Challenges and Opportunities
Aged care faces workforce shortages, rising demand, funding pressures, and a need for more personalised, culturally safe care. At the same time, technology, data integration, and service innovation offer opportunities to enhance care quality, improve coordination, and support ageing in place for longer.
Stay Informed on Aged Care Developments
Aged care evolves with policy updates, research findings, service innovations, and sector reforms. This page curates key news and insights on aged care to help providers, carers, policymakers, and families stay informed and respond to opportunities and challenges in supporting older Australians.
Integrated Assessment Tool edits begin 29 June
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has introduced a workaround for the Integrated Assessment Tool used in the Support at Home program. From 29 June, delegates will be able to return compl...
Catholic Health Australia backs home care reform
Catholic Health Australia argues for whole-system reform of funding to align hospital, aged care, home care and disability supports. The piece uses three real-world scenarios to illustrate why current...
Ocean Health uses openEHR for CDC surveillance
Australia's new Centre for Disease Control could accelerate the adoption of interoperable public health tools, with Ocean Health Systems pushing openEHR-based platforms to support uniform disease repo...
MBS indexation 2.6% prompts RACGP concerns
The Medicare Benefits Schedule indexation factor for 1 July 2026 will be 2.6%, applying to most general medical services items and diagnostic imaging. The government indicated the change alongside CPI...
Assignment of benefit rules raise bulk billing risk
DoHDA has issued new FAQs ahead of July 1 changes to assignment of benefit for bulk-billed services. From 1 July, patients must provide an electronic or hard-copy signature and the signed agreement mu...
Bulk billing assignment of benefit changes from July 1
From July 1, general practices must keep evidence that patients consent to bulk bill. Consent can be captured before or after a consult, in any format, including electronic signatures, and clinicians...
Regular GPs cut hospital visits by 28%
Older Australians who keep a regular GP are less likely to end up in hospital or present to emergency departments. A national study of more than 120,000 Australians aged 65 and older, conducted 2016–1...
Hospital in the home five-point reform plan urged
Catholic Health Australia and Bupa Health Insurance have called on the Federal Government to broaden hospital in the home services and reform Medicare telehealth so clinicians can bill for hospital-le...
VAD access in aged care: 73% lack clear access
Go Gentle Australia released its annual report card Voluntary Assisted Dying in Residential Aged Care Homes, examining 70 of Australia’s largest aged care providers across about 130 000 beds. The stud...
RSV jab rollout for older Australians with Arexvy free
From 15 May, Australians aged 75 years and over, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 and above, will be eligible for a free RSV vaccine under the National Immunisation Program. Th...
Australia's digital health vision hinges on FHIR
During Australian Healthcare Week in Sydney, leaders outlined how Australia’s end-to-end digital health vision is evolving, but turning ambition into scalable, usable change remains a challenge. eHeal...
Dementia 446,500 live now, up to 1m by 2065
New figures from Dementia Australia show 446,500 Australians are living with dementia today, with projections the total could exceed one million by 2065. The data also note 29,000 people have young on...
GP home visits fall 85% to under 500k in 2024
Associate Professor Joel Rhee, a GP with a special interest in aged care and the head of general practice at UNSW, led a 30-year analysis of Medicare funded GP home visits for a grant to the Australia...
Heidi Remote debuts with 14-hour battery
At a Melbourne event, Heidi introduced Heidi Remote, a wearable built to capture consultations without phones, apps or internet access. Clinicians press a single button to start, and the audio is encr...
NSW ED attendances reach 820,009 in Q4 2025
NSW recorded the highest level of emergency department activity in more than 15 years for the October–December 2025 quarter, according to the Bureau of Health Information. ED attendances reached 820,0...
GP home visits fall 85% as rebates misaligned
Medicare data show GP home visits have dropped 85 percent over three decades, from almost four million in 1994 to under half a million in 2024. The analysis, led by Associate Professor Joel Rhee of th...
Rethink ageing to design health for longer lives
An opinion piece by Gohar Yazdabadi, CEO of COTA NSW, argues that ageing should be treated as a design challenge rather than a cost problem. Australians are living longer, with 80s now common and many...
Digital Health Drives Reform in Australia
At Australian Healthcare Week in Sydney, Amanda Cattermole, chief executive of the Australian Digital Health Agency, said digital health has moved from a supporting role to a central driver of health...
Australia shifts to community care for ageing
At Australian Healthcare Week in Sydney, leaders from aged care providers, clinical services, research and digital transformation pressed for a move away from expanding residential facilities toward c...