Monitoring the impact of the new Aged Care Act

Dementia Australia is supportive of the rights-based approach underpinning the new Aged Care Act that came into effect on 1 November 2025, and its intention to put older people who need aged care at the centre of the system.

However, any change of this scale needs to be monitored carefully to ensure it is implemented well. We urge the Government to proactively monitor the impact of the aged care reforms for people living with dementia, their families and carers, and to respond swiftly to resolve any issues or unintended consequences.

As the peak body for people of all ages living with dementia, Dementia Australia is actively collecting information to understand how the implementation of the reforms are impacting people living with dementia, their carers, and families.

We are collecting this information through a number of mechanisms, including:

• Asking specific questions about the experience of age care reforms in our regular survey of Dementia Australia clients.
• Documenting the issues raised with us by clients and carers who call the National Dementia Helpline or participate in other Dementia Australia services and support programs
• Consulting with Dementia Australia advocates and the wider community to inform Dementia Australia’s responses to Government reviews and inquiries, including the Senate Inquiries into the Transition of the Commonwealth Home Support Program to the Support at Home Program and Support at Home more broadly.
• Commissioning longer term research to evaluate the impact of the new Aged Care Act and its implementation on people living with dementia, their families, and carers.

We are providing feedback to Government through monthly meetings and regular provision of data to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, raising urgent issues as they arise and providing a range of formal submissions in response to specific elements of the reforms.

The Dementia Australia Policy team also welcomes direct feedback on the aged care reforms by emailing policyteam@dementia.org.au