The Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care has released the final draft of the Aged Care Rules 2025, a 650-page document that outlines how the new Aged Care Act will be implemented when it takes effect on 1 November 2025. The rules, which follow multiple rounds of consultation and over 400 submissions, detail the practical operation of the new rights-based aged care framework.
Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae called the release “another meaningful step” in delivering generational reform and dignified care for older Australians. He stressed the government’s intent to provide providers with ample time to prepare. Ageing Australia has previously stressed the importance of the 3-month lead time.
“We welcome the release of the final draft Rules today, which provide the sector with much-needed detail. However, certainty around the final requirements is still needed as soon as possible to support sensible transition.”
Ageing Australia
Some of the most significant revisions to the rules are:
- Terminology updates, with allied health professionals now referred to as practitioners, and an expanded definition covering regulated professionals.
- Removal of hourly caps on home care services like cleaning and gardening.
- Expansion of assistive technology services, including access to the Assistive Technology Loan scheme.
- Clarifications to the list of prescribers for home modifications and assistive technology, addressing concerns over the exclusion of professionals like orthotists and osteopaths.
Other notable changes include:
- Reforms to the Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF): simplification of agreements, bundling of services, and rules for cost recovery if residents terminate early.
- Introduction of care management payments set at $120 per hour, capped at three hours per quarter.
- Enhanced governance requirements, better aligned with national cooperative law standards.
- Updated complaints and advocacy rules, requiring training and accessible documentation for residents on how to engage advocates.
- Revised means testing rules to differentiate between singles and couples.
- Exit strategies now mandatory in restorative care plans, and cooling-off periods for residential care doubled to 28 days.
- Improved subsidy calculators and corrections to accommodation supplement eligibility.
- Introduction of a limit on daily accommodation contributions, applying to residents moving between homes post-2014.
- Strengthened review processes for decisions originally made by the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner.
The final draft of the new aged care rules can be found here.
