Aged care in Australia

In Australia, aged care services are designed to meet the needs of the older adult and are typically provided by private enterprises. Services includes both residential aged care as well as home care services, such as personal care, home nursing, respite services, mobility and dexterity assistance, and the provision of equipment and aids. Many aged care services are subsidised by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing through My Aged Care. Australians who are eligible for government subsidies are expected to contribute to the cost of services if they can afford to.

In 2018, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was announced following media reporting exposing systemic failures and abuse in the nation's aged care sector. The royal commission made 148 recommendations in their 2021 final report, including the new Aged Care Act 2024 which comes into effect on 1 July 2025, legislated minimum nursing and care requirements, and a new aged care regulator. The resulting overhaul of the system had bipartisan support and have been described as "once in a generation" and "the biggest reforms in aged care since John Howard's 1997 changes".