Aged Care Industry Updates

Up to 40 per cent of older Australians in residential aged care never receive a single visitor. Connect the 40% is tackling loneliness head-on by connecting the community with isolated seniors through personalised gifts and meaningful moments of human connection.

As hospitals and RAC reach new levels of strain, seniors continue to be within a rock and a hard place to seek aged care assessments and access to care. New reports of doctors advising seniors to admit themselves to hospital to speed up referral complicates an already fraught situation.

Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC) has opened an $18 million expansion of its Pearl aged care service in Darwin, adding 26 dementia friendly aged care rooms and a new Health and Fitness Centre designed to slow frailty and support ageing at home. CEO David Moran says the upgrade boosts local care capacity by 30 per cent and brings contemporary dementia design to the Top End.

Outpouring of support for independent public health organisation VicHealth, after announcement it’s to be absorbed into Victoria’s Department of Health. Frustration at likely impact on preventative health strategies and strained hospitals and RAC mounts.

Decision process and power of substitute decision-makers to move seniors from hospital to RAC eased in SA. The new law questioned by advocates, with vulnerability and exploitation fears raised.

The complexity of accessing government subsidised care set to increasingly impact providers in that space. As Support at Home reform changes are felt by seniors, providers too are seeing a changing landscape.

Aged care’s Inspector-General has tabled a scathing report into the complexities and “maze-like conditions” of My Aged Care.

As Australia’s new IAT assessment system goes live, assessors report being overruled by rigid algorithms and left questioning their professional judgement – and their future in the sector. With older Australians being under-classified and under-supported, leaders are asking: Has efficiency trumped clinical care?

Australia’s aged care system is expanding fast, but the latest ROACA report shows the model underpinning it is already out of date. More than 1.5 million people accessed aged care in 2024–25 and government spending hit $39.2 billion, yet the framework guiding funding, planning and service delivery still reflects a supply-driven, residential-focused era.

A Senate order to disclose information surrounding government spending on aged care digital upgrades, has been defied by the aged care minister. Calls for transparency and accountability grow.