In June 2023 the Department of Health and Aged Care released the new “Aged Care Reform Roadmap” (Roadmap). The Roadmap sets a rough timeline of key upcoming reforms to the aged care sector. You can see the full, detailed Roadmap on the Department’s website. In the meantime, here are the highlights for June to December 2023.

June 2023

• Elder Care Support Program recruits and trains 68 staff to support First Nations elders to access aged care.

July 2023

• Residential aged care services must have a registered nurse onsite and on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• 15 per cent award wages increase for many aged care workers.
• Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner prepares for consultation about the design of the permanent First Nations Aged Care Commissioner.
• Office of the Inspector General of Aged Care established and acting Inspector-General 
• Community Visitor Scheme expanded and renamed Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS).
• Responsibility for financial monitoring transfers from Department of Health and Aged Care to Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• New Food and Nutrition Advisory Support Unit (FND Unit) established.
• Integrated Care and Commissioning trials progressively rolled out in 10 sites around Australia.

August 2023

• New Food Complains and Advice ‘hotline’

October 2023

• Mandatory residential aged care minutes increase to 200 minutes, including 40 minutes mandatory care from a Registered Nurse (RN).
• Enrolled Nurse Care Minutes delivered in residential aged care will be published with the Star Ratings .
• Aged care providers must submit annual information about their operations by 31 October.

December 2023

• Exposure draft for a Bill for a New Rights-Based Aged Care Act will be ready as part of the consultation process for the legislation.
• 24/7 RN coverage in residential aged care will be published with the Star Ratings on the My Aged Care ‘Find a Provider’ Staffing pages.
• Release of the national aged care data and digital