As Australia’s aged-care sector adapts to the new Aged Care Act, providers have an opportunity to reimagine care, shifting from delivering services to building client partnerships that support a human rights-based framework of care.
Older people want to age safely, maintaining a connection to the people, places and activities that give their lives meaning and joy. The Act encourages a fresh approach to care delivery, making it crucial for providers to use technology and systems that enhance their ability to meet clients’ expectations and preferences for receiving care and services. This shift requires a thoughtful and well-formed response from providers; becoming exceptional listeners, adapting their processes to client needs, and developing new ways of working to serve many “markets of one”.
The New Act is clear on what is expected of providers; the “How” is only possible through the inclusion of partners and technology to build a strong foundation that can efficiently deliver a wider range of services. Establishing a digital foundation capable of delivering personalised, rights-based care at scale and enabling clients to live on their own terms is the minimum. It cannot be about technology for technology’s sake, providers must rethink how care, operations, workforce and commercials intersect to
provide better support for the deeply human work of caregiving.
The cost of disconnected systems
Despite the best efforts of providers and staff, many organisations still rely on siloed systems and outdated processes, causing critical individual health information or preferences to sit across disconnected platforms, leading to duplicated tasks, inconsistent records and gaps in communications across care teams.
Without a clear, unified understanding of each individual, how can we uphold the human rights of our clients, honour their choices, anticipate their needs or empower their families to participate with transparency and confidence? How can staff develop meaningful relationships with their clients to provide the very best care outcomes? If dignity and choice are to be more than words, providers must first address the structural barriers that prevent seamless, coordinated and data-driven care.
Breaking down barriers: A hub-centred approach
The foundation of modern aged care lies in data access and consolidation into an integrated ecosystem – a single platform that connects client records, care plans, workforce management, operations and financial systems. When staff have timely access to the right information, they can act earlier, collaborate better and tailor support to each individual’s needs at any stage of their journey.
At mecwacare, phase one of this digital transformation meant creating a ‘hub-style’ care model, integrating predictive analytics and decision-support tools, allowing our people, data and systems to connect services around the individual. This means care teams can identify early risks, adapt plans dynamically and proactively intervene to help our clients maintain independence and quality of life.
Using a persona-led approach shapes the platform’s workflow and data design. We created the persona, Margaret, a typical client with her own unique family set up, individual needs and preferences. We asked questions like ‘What matters most to Margaret?’ and ‘How can we anticipate what she may need next?’ In doing so, the technology reflects lived experience, rather than system constraints, and elevates the voice of the individual at every stage.
Automating the transactional to elevate care and staff fulfilment
There is no denying that there is a huge bureaucracy and administration burden in Australia’s health and aged care system, but the automation and streamlining of these tasks can dramatically reduce manual effort. For mecwacare, tasks like financial processing now take seconds instead of days, and real-time dashboards save 15 hours of manual reporting each month.
“With fewer administrative burdens, staff can spend more time focusing on what drew them to aged care in the first place – providing hands-on care.”
This is what sits at the heart of digital transformation, with technology serving as a quiet but powerful enabler, freeing people to be more present, attuned, and collaborative to deliver care that is compassionate, personalised and grounded in dignity and respect.
Choosing a partner for change
The journey to a connected care ecosystem isn’t straightforward and requires courage, stamina and a profound belief in technology’s ability to improve outcomes for older people – especially amid regulatory reform, workforce pressures and rising consumer expectations. Choosing the right partner is critical: it can determine whether a project is merely a compliance exercise or a truly transformative experience that prepares organisations for a different future.
The old saying “if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go with someone else” matters at this point in the system’s evolution. Collaboration and partnership built on shared values, cultural alignment and deep sector knowledge are essential and just as important as technical expertise. While the New Act sets clear expectations, achieving them requires leveraging both partnerships and technology to deliver a broader range of efficient services.
At mecwacare, we deliberately integrated our partner, Cognizant, into the transformation office from the beginning. This meant they were present from discovery and design through to implementation and change management. We agreed on guiding principles around our joint “way of being”, shared staff stories and celebrated together. Cognizant brought a fresh perspective to problem-solving, helping the organisation become more sophisticated in understanding the technology landscape and designing person-centred solutions.
The result: deep engagement with clients, staff and families to develop a shared understanding of real-world challenges; more informed change management through robust discovery and debate leading to improved training and communication; and co-designing solutions with our care community, making systems more meaningful and ensuring smoother transitions.
A new era for aged care embedded in rights, respect and innovation
The new Act sets a bold direction for the sector, and most importantly, for each generation as they enter late life. To meet this moment, providers must reimagine their systems and processes and strengthen their ability to partner effectively. This is grounded in shared values, trust, cultural compatibility and mutual support.
Practically, this means building digital foundations that drive performance, challenging the status quo, and enabling care providers to deliver rights-based, person-centred care every day.
With the right technology, design principles and partners, we can ensure that people live later life with joy, confidence, dignity and respect. By bringing together our best thinking and technology, we can transform the system for future generations.
