Navigating the New Aged Care Reforms:
What Providers Need to Know from July 1, 2025
Australia’s aged care sector is entering a new era. From 1 July 2025, major reforms outlined in the Aged Care Act 2024 will come into full effect—representing one of the most transformative shifts in care delivery and provider accountability in decades.
These changes aim to re-centre aged care around the rights and needs of older Australians. While the intention is clear—improving safety, quality, and continuity of care—meeting the requirements will demand significant operational, workforce, and cultural shifts for residential aged care providers.
In our latest white paper, we unpack the impact of these changes and outline the practical steps providers can take to stay compliant, sustainable, and resident-focused.
What's Changing?
At the core of the reforms are two major requirements:
| An average of 215 care minutes per resident per day, including 44 minutes from a Registered Nurse (RN) | 24/7 onsite RN coverage at every residential aged care facility |
These requirements respond directly to the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which exposed critical shortcomings in workforce sufficiency, governance, and resident wellbeing.
The updated legislation replaces the Aged Care Act 1997 and brings with it a modern regulatory framework, a new funding model (AN-ACC), and revised Aged Care Quality Standards.
The Challenges Ahead
While the reforms set a higher standard for resident care, they also present clear operational challenges:
Workforce shortages:Recruiting and retaining enough RNs, especially in regional and rural areas, is already a pressing concern. |
Rostering ComplexityBalancing regulatory compliance, fatigue management, and staff preferences adds new layers of difficulty to workforce planning. |
Rising CostsMany providers are struggling to meet staffing targets without over-reliance on agency labour or overtime. |
Siloed operationsDisconnected workforce, clinical, and reporting systems make it hard to get a real-time view of compliance or make coordinated decisions. |
Smarter Strategic Responses
To navigate the reforms, aged care organisations need more than just more staff—they need smarter systems and cross-functional strategies. Our white paper explores these critical enablers:
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Integrated workforce planning: Align rosters with resident acuity, forecast staffing needs, and account for skills mix and shift coverage.
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Real-time visibility: Use live data to respond to gaps or surges in care needs as they happen.
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Scenario modelling: Prepare for “what-if” situations like unexpected staff absences or resident condition changes.
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Cross-functional collaboration: Break down silos between HR, clinical teams, finance, and IT to align goals and actions.
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Data-driven compliance: Ensure your organisation can track, audit, and report care minutes by role, resident, and shift with precision.
The Bottom Line
The upcoming reforms represent a chance for aged care providers to lead — not just comply. With the right technology, empowered staff, and integrated planning, organisations can meet their compliance targets while continuing to deliver compassionate, person-centred care.
Download our white paper.
Want to go deeper into the July 1 aged care reforms and what they mean for your organisation?
Our comprehensive white paper, "Navigating Aged Care Reform: Workforce Planning and Compliance in 2025", breaks down the new legislation in simple terms and offers practical strategies.
Whether you're a facility manager, HR leader, clinical director or CEO, this is could just be your go-to resource for navigating reform with confidence.
Smarter Insights. Safer Healthcare