Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

Australian Government response to the final report

The Australian Government welcomed the Royal Commission’s final report. This report provided 148 recommendations to significantly reform the aged care sector.

Read our response to the recommendations.

Royal Commission reports

The Royal Commission has delivered:

• an interim report 
• a special report on COVID-19 in aged care, tabled in the Australian Parliament on 1 October 2020
• a final report, tabled in the Australian Parliament on 1 March 2021.

What the commission did

The Royal Commission looked at:

• the quality and safety of residential and in-home aged care for older people
• the quality and safety of care for young people with disabilities living in aged care homes, including:
  • the extent to which these services meet peoples’ needs
  • the extent of substandard care, including mistreatment and all forms of abuse
  • the causes of any systemic failures
  • actions that should be taken in response
• how to best deliver aged care services to:
  • people with disabilities living in aged care homes (including younger people) 
  • people living with dementia 
• how to give people more control and choice in relation to their care, and improving engagement with families and carers
• what the government, aged care sector, families and community can do to ensure quality and safety in aged care
• how to best deliver aged care services in a sustainable way through:
  • innovative models of care
  • use of technology
  • investment in the aged care workforce and capital infrastructure 
• the future challenges and opportunities for delivering accessible, affordable and high quality aged care services in Australia, including in: 
  • the context of changing demographics and preferences, i.e. people's wish to stay in their own home as they age 
  • remote, rural and regional Australia
• the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in aged care, and what can be learned from this experience for responding to future pandemics, infectious disease outbreaks or other emergencies.

Find out more

Visit the Royal Commission website to find out about:

• the terms of reference
• hearings
• community forums
• the Commissioners.

If you have an urgent matter, please contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Media releases

• 11 May 2021 – $17.7 billion to deliver once in a generation change to aged care in Australia
• 1 March 2021 – Respect, Care and Dignity – Aged Care Royal Commission $452 million immediate response as Government commits to historic reform to deliver Respect and Care for Senior Australians
• 1 October 2020 – Minister Colbeck's statement about the Royal Commission's COVID-19 report.
• 8 July 2020 – Prime Minister announces extension to reporting timeframe
• 25 November 2019 – Prime Minister announces response to interim report 
• 9 October 2018 – Prime Minister announces the terms of reference
• 16 September 2018 – Prime Minister announces the Royal Commission