Aged care research and reporting

About our research and reports

We base policy decisions on research and data. We commission research and collect data to:

• understand how the aged care system is performing
• identify any issues
• make sure we have the information we need to make better decisions.

We report every year to Parliament on the operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 and publish research reports on how the aged care system is working.

We have also worked with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) to create GEN Aged Care Data, a website that provides detailed data on aged care services in Australia.

Report on the operation of the Aged Care Act 1997

The report on the operation of Aged Care Act 1997 (ROACA) details the operation of Australia’s aged care system during each financial year.

It includes information on the:

• structure, operation and funding of aged care
• systems and resources available for older people to access aged care
• types of aged care services
• help available for people with diverse needs
• contribution to aged care workforce measures
• quality and regulation requirements in aged care.

GEN Aged Care Data

Financial report on the Australian aged care sector

The Financial Report on the Australian Aged Care Sector increases transparency and provides information and analysis of financial performance across residential aged care, home care and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).

The report uses information collected from approved providers through the Aged Care Financial Report (ACFR).

It replaces annual reports previously published by the Aged Care Financing Authority.

Quarterly financial snapshot on the Australian aged care sector

The Quarterly Financial Snapshot provides an update on financial performance of the aged care sector for each quarter of the financial year. The snapshot includes:

• key financial indicators
• food and nutrition information
• labour costs
• care minutes data.

The report uses information collected from approved providers through the Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) process and other sources.

Home Care Package data and research reports

The Home Care Package program provides support to older people with complex needs to help them stay at home.

It provides ongoing personal services, support services and clinical care that help older people with their daily activities.

My Aged Care research and evaluation

We regularly review and evaluate My Aged Care to make sure it is effective and meets the needs of older people, their families and carers.

We hired independent researchers to consult a wide range of stakeholders to look into how people experience and perceive My Aged Care.

Find out more about the My Aged Care research and evaluation including the research findings.

Aged Care Planning Regions

We use Aged Care Planning Regions to plan aged care services across Australia.

View the current 2018 Aged Care Planning Regions and the previous 2015 Aged Care Planning Regions.

Let’s change aged care together

We need your help to create an aged care system that we can all be proud of.

There are many ways you can get involved, including:

• surveys
• webinars
• online workshops
• consultations
• community events.

Visit the Engagement Hub for information on current and upcoming engagement opportunities, so you can get involved in our research and help drive change in aged care.

Additional resources

For more reports, read our:

• Star Ratings summary report, which outlines the development and design of our Star Ratings system
• Food and Nutrition report, which provides an analysis of the data we have collected from residential services
• Aged Care Data Collection, which provides a better understanding the aged care workforce to develop policy that addresses challenges in the sector
• Financial performance of the Australian aged care sector provides a collection of our annual reports on the financial performance of the Australian aged care sector.