It’s been four months since the introduction of the new Aged Care Act, so what’s actually changed?

This week, Lahn Straney, Chief Scientific Officer at Health Metrics, joined the DCM Group webinar to unpack the first 120 days of the Act.

During the candid conversation, five key themes stood out:

Key Highlights:

• Governance is under pressure – boards are stepping up as registration renewals land and oversight expectations rise.
• Financial complexity is real – Support at Home cohorts, means testing and residential entry transactions are adding operational strain.
• Evidence now matters more than intent – providers are judged on what they can demonstrate, making data quality a leadership priority.
• Culture is the critical lever – a rights-based framework requires psychological safety, stronger frontline support and true partnership between operations and compliance.
• The regulator’s tone is more collaborative, but accountability is sharper – “best efforts” is recognised, yet expectations for continuous improvement are explicit.

We’re only 120 days in, but strategic changes are already underway.