The new Aged Care Act came into effect on 1 November 2025, marking one of the most significant reforms to Australia’s aged care system in decades. The new Act establishes a right to palliative and end of life care for every person who uses or seeks Australian Government funded aged care services.
Support at Home
The new Support at Home Program also starts from 1 November. It replaces the existing Home Care Packages Program and Short-term Restorative Care Program.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) has recently published a number of new resources about the Program for older people, families and carers, aged care providers and clinicians here.
Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway
DHDA has recently released new information about the Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway, which will begin on 1 November 2025. This initiative provides an opportunity to enable more older Australians to live and die well in the comfort of their own homes.
Resources include:
End-of-Life Pathway Fact Sheet for doctors and nurse practitioners
Support at Home Guidance for General Practitioners, which includes brief information about the End-of-Life Pathway.
Support at Home Provider Training module for home care providers
A Fact Sheet for older people, family members and carers.
Palliative Care Australia also has a position statement and more information about the Pathway for clinicians, consumers and carers, and aged care providers on our website.
Supported decision-making under the new Act
The new Act introduces a supported decision-making framework that reflects the right of older people to make their own choices about their aged care.
From 1 November, people who are using or applying for aged care services will be able to appoint one or more registered supporters through My Aged Care.
A registered supporter’s role is to assist the person to make or communicate their own decisions about aged care matters. This includes helping them access, understand, and interpret information about their care – always with the person’s consent.
It’s important to note that this role is different from that of a substitute decision-maker, who is appointed under state or territory law to make decisions on behalf of someone when they lack decision-making capacity.
Registered supporters cannot make decisions for the person. Their involvement is limited to decisions about funded aged care matters, and they may provide support in any setting – such as the person’s home, hospital, or other health environment, as long as the issue relates to aged care.
If the older person lacks capacity to make decisions, a registered supporter cannot override a substitute decision-maker.
An older person may choose to appoint the same person as both their substitute decision-maker and registered supporter, or different individuals for each role. Older people do not have to appoint a registered supporter.
For more information, visit Advanced Care Planning Australia for resources for aged care providers, and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing for guidance for providers, supporters, and older people.
OPAN also has a supported decision-making toolkit for older people which sets out the different roles of supporters.
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This news alert was published on the PCA website and is republished here with permission
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