Chapter overview
Chapter 1 of the Aged Care Act 2024 (the Act) sets out the purpose of the Act and outlines parts of the new aged care system. This chapter also has information about:
- key terms and concepts, such as the Aged Care Code of Conduct, the Aged Care Quality Standards, reportable incidents and restrictive practices
- the Statement of Rights for older people
- the Statement of Principles, which guides decision-makers and people administering and regulating the Act
- the role of registered supporters for older people.
Funded aged care services
[Chapter 1 – Part 2 – Division 2]
Chapter 1 introduces the key terms and concepts of the Act. This includes explaining the core parts of funded aged care services. Older people who are eligible for services can access these services in their home or community, or in an approved residential care home.
Funded aged care services are delivered by registered providers (and associated providers of registered providers) and their aged care workers. Associated providers are organisations that have been subcontracted by registered providers to deliver services.
The Act also explains who a responsible person for a provider is. This is someone who has a leadership or decision-making role for the provider.
The Aged Care Rules 2025 (the Rules) sit under the Act and provide further detail on applying and implementing the new Act. The Rules include the aged care service list, which shows the services and how they’re structured under the Act. The list includes:
- each service that’s eligible for funding
- the service type for each service, which organises similar types of services together
- the service group for each service type, which are organised based on where the service is delivered. Services delivered in:
- the home or community are either in the home support, assistive technology or home modifications service group
- approved residential care homes are in the residential care service group.
The full aged care service list is included at the end of this chapter.
Chapter 1 also includes the Statement of Rights and Statement of Principles. The statements are core parts of the Act which:
- provide guidance on how the new aged care system should operate
- outline the rights older people are entitled to when accessing, or seeking to access, funded aged care services under the Act
- guide the work of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department), the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission), and other agencies delivering the aged care system.
Disclaimer
This publication is not legal advice and must not to be used or relied upon as a substitute for legal advice. Users must seek their own independent legal advice in relation to their particular circumstances.