Opinion editorial by OneCare CEO Peter Williams, published in The Mercury Friday, 28th November 2025, p41.
On November 1, Australia’s aged care sector entered a new era of maturity with the rights-based Aged Care Act coming into force. This landmark reform places older Australians at the centre of the system, enshrining their right to dignity, choice, and safety. As their care needs change, their right to live how they want does not. For Tasmania – home to the nation’s oldest population – the changes are timely and transformative.
For older Tasmanians wondering what the new Act means for them, it introduces a Statement of Rights, stronger quality standards, and a streamlined regulatory framework. This means clearer expectations, better protections, and more control over how and where people receive care.
Importantly, the new Support at Home program will help more people remain in their own homes for longer, reflecting the strong preference for independence across our communities.
Empowerment is at the heart of these reforms. Older people can now appoint a registered supporter to assist with decision-making, ensuring autonomy even when health challenges arise. Transparency measures including public star ratings and cost disclosures give families confidence when choosing care providers.
But these changes are not just about rights; they are about the sector’s sustainability. Tasmania faces unique pressures: an ageing population, workforce shortages, and rising costs. The Act’s funding model, which balances government support with fair contributions from those who can afford it, is designed to ensure the sector delivers high-quality care with long-term viability.
Improving aged care also addresses a pressing national health challenge: hospital bed block. Currently, around 90 Tasmanians who are medically fit to leave hospital remain, because aged care places or NDIS supports aren’t available. This costs our health system over $215,000 every day and forces elective surgery cancellations.
OneCare has worked closely with the Tasmanian Health Service to streamline discharge pathways for older patients, successfully piloting a program last year that reduced the average hospital stay from 75 days to 43 days. This reduction in length of stay resulted in savings of approximately $512,000 during the six-month pilot.
There’s no silver bullet here – discharge pathways can be complex, particularly for people with high clinical and complex care needs. Aged care facilities receive federal funding to provide an average of 215 minutes daily one-on-one care per resident, including 44 minutes from a registered nurse. That’s around 3.5 hours. For people who require round-the-clock care, we need to consider other options than a direct transition into aged care.
Nonetheless, our pilot showed that efficiency measures, better communication, and alignment with allied health can create a more integrated, streamlined system. Every successful transition frees a hospital bed, reduces pressure on emergency departments, and ensures older Tasmanians receive person-centred care in the right setting.
This is more than legislative reform – it’s a cultural shift, and Tasmania has an opportunity to lead the way. Aged care is no longer about managing decline; it’s about ageing well with choice, independence, and wellbeing. For older Tasmanians, that means living not just longer but better, with dignity and respect.
