The Aged Care Act 2024 commenced on 1 November 2025. It has ushered in the most significant overhaul of aged care law in a generation. Grounded in rights, dignity and accountability, it replaces a 25-year-old framework with one built around transparency and fairness for older Australians.
For nurses, the largest health professional group in aged care, the new Act brings long-awaited recognition of their leadership, yet with higher expectations, more documentation, and little relief from mounting workloads.
As one nurse said: “Reform means little if nurses are too exhausted to carry it out.”
