Aged Care Reforms: What Providers Need to Know After November 1
The new Aged Care Act officially commenced on 1 November 2025, marking a major milestone in the sector. These reforms are designed to strengthen rights, improve transparency, and raise the bar for quality care. For providers, this means new responsibilities and new opportunities to lead with confidence.
If you operate in aged care or across both aged care and NDIS, understanding these changes is critical. Here’s what’s new, why it matters, and how you can stay ahead.
What’s changed under the new Act?
The reforms introduce a rights-based framework that puts older people at the center of care. Key updates include:
Clearer expectations for decision-making support
Providers must ensure older people have choice and control in their care decisions, with accessible information and support.Simplified care assessments and service agreements
Processes are streamlined to make assessments easier and agreements clearer for clients and families.Transparent pricing and service information
Providers must publish clear service lists, pricing, and contributions for non-clinical services.Updated compliance requirements aligned with strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards
Audits will now focus on governance, risk management, and consumer engagement as core priorities.
New resources and requirements for providers
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has released updated guidance, including:
Templates for service agreements and care plans
Consumer rights resources for older people and families
Compliance checklists for providers preparing for audits under the new standards
Providers should review these resources and integrate them into their systems as soon as possible.
What this means for audits and compliance
Audits under the new framework will place greater emphasis on:
Governance and leadership accountability
Evidence of consumer engagement and feedback
Risk management processes
Continuous improvement actions
If your systems rely on manual processes or outdated policies, now is the time to act.
How Centro QMS Helps You Stay Ahead
Navigating these reforms requires more than just updated policies. You need a system that makes compliance simple and scalable. Centro QMS is designed to help providers:
Manage policies and procedures with built-in version control
Track responsibilities and audit actions in real time
Access compliance dashboards for instant visibility
Prepare for audits with structured registers and reporting tools
Ready to see how Centro QMS can transform your compliance workflows?
Stay ahead of aged care reforms.
Explore how Centro QMS can help you maintain compliance and deliver quality care under the new standards.
