Preparing for the Aged Care Act: A practical guide for providers

The Aged Care Act, now set to take effect on 1 November 2025, marks a significant shift for Australia’s aged care sector. With its focus on the rights and needs of older people, the Act demands robust governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) practices to ensure quality care and regulatory adherence.

For aged care providers, understanding and preparing for these changes is critical, not just to meet compliance requirements but to enhance care delivery and build trust with residents, families, and regulators.

To support providers in this transition, Protecht, a leader in enterprise risk management, has released a comprehensive eBook, Understanding the Aged Care Act 2024. This resource offers practical insights into the Act’s requirements and demonstrates how a strong GRC framework can help providers achieve better outcomes for stakeholders.

Why the Aged Care Act matters

The Act, spanning nearly 600 pages, establishes a person-centred framework for aged care services. It responds directly to the 2018 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which highlighted the need for improved care standards under the banner of Care, Dignity and Respect.

The legislation shifts the focus from provider funding to the needs of older people, introducing stronger accountability, enhanced governance, and stricter compliance obligations.

Key changes include:

• Increased Accountability: Responsible persons, including board members and executives, face civil penalties for failing to exercise due diligence.
• Person-Centred Care: Providers must demonstrate real-time evidence of safe, dignified care through incident logs, audits, and feedback systems.
• Service-Specific Registration: Each service type (residential, home care, or respite) will be audited based on its unique risk profile, requiring accessible, high-quality data.

With the Act having recently been punished back to 1 November 2025, providers have been granted a new window to strengthen their GRC practices and align with these new standards.

Protecht’s eBook: A roadmap for compliance and care

Protecht’s eBook serves as a practical guide for aged care leaders, particularly CEOs, COOs, heads of risk, compliance, and quality, as well as board members. Drawing on over two decades of expertise in risk management, the eBook outlines how providers can meet the Act’s requirements while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The eBook covers:

• Key Elements of the Act: A clear breakdown of the legislation’s objectives, from governance and funding to incident management and quality standards.
• GRC Best Practices: Guidance on integrating risk, compliance, and governance processes to ensure consistency and transparency across operations.
• Practical Tools and Systems: Insights into how Protecht’s enterprise risk management (ERM) platform simplifies compliance, incident reporting, and real-time risk oversight.
• Driving Better Outcomes: Strategies to align GRC practices with the Act’s focus on resident dignity, safety, and wellbeing, while reducing administrative burdens.

The eBook also highlights the importance of a unified GRC system. By managing risks, incidents, and compliance in a single platform, providers can eliminate fragmented processes, gain real-time insights, and empower staff at all levels to contribute to quality care.

To download the eBook, click here. 

How Protecht supports aged care providers

Protecht’s ERM platform is tailored to the unique challenges of the aged care sector. It offers a no-code, scalable solution that simplifies complex GRC requirements, enabling providers to focus on delivering care with confidence. Key features include:

• Incident and Complaints Management: Streamlined processes for tracking and resolving incidents, ensuring compliance with the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) and whistleblower protections.
• Real-Time Risk Visibility: Dashboards provide boards and leadership with live insights into risks and compliance performance, supporting proactive decision-making.
• Compliance Automation: Automated updates on regulatory changes keep providers ahead of evolving requirements, while integrated workflows reduce manual tasks.
• Continuous Improvement: Tools for root cause analysis and action tracking help providers enhance care quality and meet Aged Care Quality Standards.

By embedding these capabilities, Protecht helps providers turn risk management into an opportunity to improve operations, strengthen governance, and build trust with stakeholders.

Preparing for the future

The Aged Care Act 2024 is more than a regulatory overhaul; it’s a chance for providers to transform their operations and prioritise the needs of older people. With Australia’s ageing population expected to double over the next 40 years, providers who embrace these changes will be better positioned to deliver sustainable, high-quality care.

Protecht’s eBook is an essential resource for navigating this transition. It offers actionable steps, such as analysing the Act’s principles, developing a compliance strategy, and leveraging technology to enhance GRC capabilities. For providers still relying on spreadsheets or disjointed systems, the eBook makes a compelling case for adopting an integrated ERM platform.

Take the Next Step

Aged care providers face a pivotal moment. By investing in robust GRC practices now, they can not only comply with the Aged Care Act but also elevate their care standards and reputation. Protecht’s Understanding the Aged Care Act 2024 eBook is a valuable starting point for leaders looking to navigate these changes with confidence.

To download the eBook or learn more about how Protecht’s ERM platform can support your organisation, visit Protecht’s aged care page or explore the eBook directly at Protecht’s website.