On 14 December 2023, the Commonwealth Government released the Exposure Draft of the new Aged Care Bill 2023 (New Act).

The New Act is the centrepiece of ongoing legislative reforms in response to the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The Exposure Draft amends existing provisions and introduces new provisions which are based on the rights-based approach recommended by the Royal Commission.

The consultation period on the Exposure Draft has been extended to Friday, 8 March 2024. We provide a series of updates and resources to keep you informed:

• a detailed New Aged Care Act overview and timeline (PDF)
• an overview of the role and operation of 'supporters' and 'representatives' (PDF), along with our concerns regarding practical impacts in the implementation of these new roles.
• an overview of the new strengthened quality standards and the release of the guidance(PDF) issued by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on their proposed audit methodology, which is open for public consultation until 30 April 2024.
• an overview of the strengthened regulatory powers of the Aged Care Quality Safety Commissioner and the System Governor (PDF) and the enforcement mechanisms available to them under the Exposure Draft.

Please contact us to discuss impacts on your organisation.