By the time you read this, 1 November 2025 will have passed, marking the most significant change to Australian aged care we’ve ever seen. On that single day, a perfect storm of reforms hit, including a new Aged Care Act 2024, strengthened Quality Standards, and a complete revamp of both home and residential care.
The old Home Care Packages program is out, replaced by the new Support at Home Program. Residential care has also changed, with different payment arrangements for new residents.
Demand for aged care is rising relentlessly as the population ages. Waitlists for home care and residential places continue to grow, and government investment isn’t keeping pace. The hard truth? It will cost older people more, whichever way you look at it.
Faced with this confusing system—whether you’re an older Australian yourself or one of the three million informal carers supporting them—your only effective defence is to forward plan as much as you can. It’s the best way to ensure you have access to the right supports and services at the time you need them and that you can afford.
Don’t wait for a crisis. If you are over 65 and may need care in the future, get on the first rung of the ladder. Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 10am–2pm) and register.
You will be given an individual Aged Care (AC) Number. From here on, you just quote this number and My Aged Care will have your details on file. This does not mean you need aged care right now—though you can request it. It’s simply the crucial first step to being in the system.
Often when circumstances change, it can be sudden, time-critical, and stressful. At that time, recontact My Aged Care, provide your AC number, and ask for an assessment. Be clear on what you need help with. There are long queues for assessments and funding, so timing is important. However, you can only be assessed when you genuinely need support.
It can be really hard to ask for help, but this is the time to put pride aside and ask for what you so rightly deserve.
This article by Julia McCarthy appeared in the November 2025 edition of Village Voice.