The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released the final draft of the Aged Care Rules – the final building block before the new Aged Care Act takes effect on 1 November.
Dropped quietly online late yesterday afternoon (Thursday 31 July), the 600-plus-page Exposure Draft brings together changes from seven rounds of sector consultation between September 2024 and May 2025 and responds to more than 400 submissions.
They include significant amendments across residential aged care, Support at Home, worker screening, incident reporting, consumer statements, financial contributions, and complaints management.
Key updates include:
- Cooling-off periods for residential aged care extended from 14 to 28 days;
- Providers ceasing services must secure suitable alternate accommodation with another provider or a more appropriate long-term option when care ends;
- Exit strategies must be embedded in restorative care plans;
- Means testing thresholds now split into single and couple rates;
- Assistive technology loan scheme formally integrated into the Rules;
- Final rules for the Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF), including bundling, cancellations, and transition;
- Governance rules aligned with co-operative models;
- Mandatory training and advocacy access embedded in complaint handling; and
- Refined incident reporting for individuals with impairments other than cognitive.
Crucially, the Government has officially removed hourly caps on cleaning and gardening services under Support at Home, following its pledge to scrap the widely publicised limit last November.
Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae said the Rules were about “making sure aged care providers have the tools they need to deliver the best care for older Australians.”
“We’re getting on with the job of delivering generational change,” he said in a statement. “We’ve released the Rules three months before the new Act comes into force, giving providers time to implement new systems and train workers to deliver the best care to our loved ones.”
Sector cautiously welcomes certainty
Aged care peak body Ageing Australia had repeatedly called for the final Rules to be delivered with at least three months’ lead time before 1 November – a request the Government has now met, although narrowly.
Roald Versteeg, General Manager Policy and Advocacy at Ageing Australia, said the sector can now get on with the job.
“We welcome the release of the final draft Rules, which provide the sector with much-needed detail,” he said. “Plenty of work remains upgrading systems and training staff ahead of November, but at least the way forward is now clearer.”
However, Roald also noted that “certainty around the final requirements is still needed as soon as possible”, given some parts of the Act and Rules still depend on Parliament passing amending legislation and the Minister’s sign-off.
What happens next?
The Rules are not open for further consultation but are now available in full to help providers prepare their systems, processes and workforce.
They remain subject to passage of the final legislative amendments before Parliament and require formal sign-off by the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors before being published on the Federal Register of Legislation.
The Department says these steps are expected to proceed without delay.
Read the final draft Rules and transition guidance on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website here.
