HON STEPHEN JONES MP
ASSISTANT TREASURER
MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES
MEMBER FOR WHITLAM

ALISON BYRNES MP
MEMBER FOR CUNNINGHAM

The Albanese Government will deliver historic aged care reforms to ensure the viability and quality of aged care, and support growing numbers of older Australians choosing to retain their independence and remain in their homes as they age.

The new Aged Care Act was tabled to Parliament yesterday by the Minister for Aged Care and Sport, Hon Anika Wells MP who during her speech drew inspiration from Illawarra resident, Council of Elders Representative & Older Persons Advocacy Network Advocate, Val Fell.
Like Val, around 1.4 million Australians will benefit from a new Support at Home program by 2035, helping them remain independent, in their home and their community for longer.

$5.6 billion will be invested in a reform package which represents the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years, and includes these major changes:

• A $4.3 billion investment in Support at Home, to come into effect on 1 July 2025.
• Essential changes to improve the funding, viability, and quality of residential aged care.
  • A no worse off principle will provide certainty to people already in aged care and they won't make a greater contribution to their care.
  • The treatment of the family home won't change.
• New laws to protect older Australians in aged care, with stronger powers to investigate bad behaviour and civil penalties for breaching standards

The net impact of the changes is a $930 million spend over four years and a $12.6 billion save over the next 11 years.

The reforms, which has bipartisan support, responds to the recommendations of the Aged Care Taskforce, which brought together older Australians, experts and residential aged care providers and recommended that Australians make a reasonable means tested contribution to the cost of their care.

The new Aged Care Act legislation, which will enable the reforms includes:

• A Statement of Rights for older Australians in aged care, with a positive duty for providers to uphold those rights.
• New duties to hold providers and people in positions of leadership accountable, along with a compensation pathway.
• New Quality Standards to drive continuous improvement and high-quality care.
• Stronger regulatory powers to protect people from harm.
• New whistleblower protections.
• A regulator with stronger investigative powers.
• A new, independent statutory Complaints Commissioner.

These are landmark, once in a generation reforms that will shape the way we support people to live independently and with dignity as they age.

Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Whitlam, Hon Stephen Jones MP:

“These reforms mean better food, better care and more rights for older Australians.

“1.4 million Australians will benefit from a new Support at Home program with shorter wait times and more support.

“This is about supporting people to live independent lives with dignity.

Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes MP:

“The Illawarra region’s aged care system has been under significant strain after years of underinvestment by previous governments.

“I want to thank our local advocates, providers, Community Industry Group and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District for their continued and collective efforts in supporting older Australians in the region to receive the best possible care.

“Minister Wells and the Albanese Labor Government haven’t wasted a minute returning the care to aged care. Since the tabling of the Royal Commission report in 2021, 136 recommendations have been addressed, with 94 of these having been addressed by the Albanese Government.

“This legislation will establish a long overdue rights-based aged care system for Australia. With a new program to help our older Australians stay in their homes longer, creating a new regulatory framework with a stronger regulator, implementing updated Quality Standards, and ensuring fair co-contributions to secure the long-term sustainability of Australia's aged care system into the future.

These reforms build on the previously announced support for aged care in the region, including:

• Secured $16.5 million in federal funding through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program for the Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT) to open over 40 additional beds.
• Jointly funded with NSW Minns Government 35 new Transition Care Places through to June 2025 to assist with transitioning older people out of hospital and into residential aged care homes.
• Funded the Acute to Residential Care Transition Service program run by Dementia Support Australia to support people living with dementia and their families to transition from hospital to residential care.
• Supported an 8-place Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) Unit at Hammondcare Horsley.
• Opened the Wollongong and Dapto Medicare Urgent Care Clinics to provide urgent care and avoid unnecessary hospital presentations.
• Supported two aged care worker pay increases to help retain and recruit more workers.
• Introduced 24/7 nursing to improve the level of clinical care in aged care homes.