The Department of Health and Aged Care has confirmed that the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards will be rolled out at the same time as the new Aged Care Act.
"The strengthened Standards have been finalised and will come into effect in line with the commencement of the new Aged Care Act," a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care told The SOURCE.
This confirmation should reassure those The SOURCE has spoken to this week concerned the Government may push through the strengthened Quality Standards on 1 July 2024 to appease those concerned about deferral of the new Aged Care Act.
After the Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells last week confirmed the commencement date for legislation will be updated before the laws are introduced to parliament, it now appears that both the strengthened Quality Standards and the new Aged Care Act will not commence on 1 July 2024, as they had been scheduled to do.
As for when the new commencement date will be, and when we will see a final draft of the new Aged Care Act, the spokesperson told The SOURCE, "The Department is working with legislative drafters to finalise the Bill as soon as possible."
Read the final draft of the Aged Care Quality Standards here.
