How Aged Care Workforce Changes Under The New Act: What Reform Means For Nurses & AINs

The Aged Care Act 2024 commenced on 1 November 2025 alongside the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and a new Statement of Rights. These changes place greater emphasis on accountability, person-centred care and the rights of older Australians.

As the reforms continue to shape and change the aged care sector in 2026, Assistants in Nursing (AINs), Personal Care Workers, Enrolled Nurses (ENs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) need to understand what they mean for their day-to-day roles.

Here’s what you need to know about your responsibilities, pay and career opportunities in 2026.

Key aged care reforms affecting workers in 2026

The main changes affecting workers include:

• Greater emphasis on person-centred care and supported decision-making
• Stronger expectations around dignity, safety, privacy and communication
• Updated worker screening requirements
• The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards
• Greater provider accountability for workforce training and capability
• Continued scrutiny of mandatory care minutes and RN coverage
• Stronger protections for people who raise concerns

After the reform, aged care workers now have greater responsibility for protecting each person’s rights, documenting care accurately and raising concerns when something is unsafe.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can investigate non-compliance and take regulatory action. Its resources for aged care workers explain how the Act affects frontline roles. For more on the legislation’s early impact, read Healthcare Australia’s Aged Care Act six-month review.

What do mandatory care minutes mean for RN and AIN staffing?

Mandatory care minutes set the average amount of direct care that residential aged care homes must provide. They apply across a home rather than guaranteeing every resident the same number of minutes.

The initial target was 200 minutes per resident per day, including 40 RN minutes. From 1 October 2024, this increased to an average of 215 total care minutes, including 44 RN minutes. A home’s specific target may vary according to its residents’ assessed needs.

In practice:

• RNs provide clinical assessment, medication management, deterioration response and care planning
• ENs deliver clinical care within their authorised scope
• AINs and Personal Care Workers assist with mobility, hygiene, meals and daily routines
• Providers must roster enough eligible staff to meet total and RN-specific minutes

Care minutes do not create a universal RN-to-AIN ratio. However, they increase pressure on providers to maintain an appropriate skill mix across shifts.

How does the 24/7 RN obligation affect shift work?

Most residential aged care homes must have at least one RN on-site and on duty at all times. Limited exemptions may apply to eligible small rural or remote homes.

For anyone researching how the role of a registered nurse after the new Aged Care Act may differ, the clearest change is the increased need for reliable RN coverage across nights, weekends and relief shifts. It can also mean greater responsibility when acting as the only on-site RN.

A typical overnight RN shift may include:

• Receiving a clinical handover
• Reviewing residents whose conditions have changed
• Managing medicines
• Responding to falls or deterioration
• Supporting AINs and Personal Care Workers
• Escalating concerns and completing records
• Preparing the morning handover

The obligation does not mean one RN should manage every task alone. Providers must still roster according to resident needs and safe practice.

What worker screening is required, and how do you get it?

From 1 November 2025, aged care workers generally need either a police certificate that is less than three years old or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. Providers must verify that workers satisfy the applicable requirements.

An NDIS Worker Screening Check is obtained through the relevant authority in your state or territory. The process generally involves:

1. Submitting an application and identity documents
2. Naming your employer or prospective employer
3. Having the organisation verify the application
4. Paying the applicable fee
5. Waiting for the screening decision

Requirements vary by employer, role and jurisdiction. Confirm what your prospective provider accepts before applying, particularly if you already have a current police certificate.

How have aged care pay rates changed?

The Fair Work Commission Stage 3 work value case changed classifications and minimum rates for many aged care employees. Most changes began from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2025, with further increases for some workers from October 2025.

Changes included:

• A new direct-care classification structure under the Aged Care Award [MA000018]
• Increases for eligible direct-care and general aged care workers
• Updated minimum rates for eligible ENs and RNs under the Nurses Award
• Changed award coverage for some nursing assistants
• Separate aged care and disability streams for home care employees

Your rate depends on your award, classification, qualifications and duties. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman’s aged care work value case guidance alongside your employment agreement and payslip.

Has the scope of practice changed under the New Act?

The Act strengthens accountability but does not automatically expand anyone’s clinical scope of practice. Workers must perform tasks supported by their qualifications, competence, role description and required supervision.

Holding a Cert III in Individual Support can prepare a Personal Care Worker or AIN for many direct-care duties, but it does not authorise independent nursing assessment. ENs and RNs must also continue working within professional standards and registration requirements.

If a task falls outside your training or authority, seek clarification and escalate it appropriately.

What does the Code of Conduct require every day?

The Code of Conduct for Aged Care requires workers to act with respect, honesty, skill and care while protecting older people from harm.

Everyday obligations include:

• Asking permission before providing personal care
• Respecting privacy, culture and personal preferences
• Supporting older people to make decisions
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect or unsafe practice
• Maintaining accurate records
• Communicating risks during handovers
• Escalating changes in a resident’s condition

These actions support both the Statement of Rights and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.

What are providers looking for in 2026 hires?

Providers increasingly want candidates who combine practical capability with an understanding of rights-based care.

Common hiring priorities include:

• Relevant registration or a Cert III in Individual Support
• Current worker screening
• Accurate care or clinical documentation
• Manual-handling and infection-control skills
• Dementia care capability
• Reliable escalation and handovers
• Respectful, person-centred communication
• Availability for overnight, weekend or regional shifts

Healthcare Australia’s aged care worker career advice can help candidates understand the work and prepare for their next role.

Which aged care roles are growing fastest?

Demand remains strong for RNs who can support 24/7 coverage, as well as ENs, AINs and Personal Care Workers who contribute to mandatory care minutes. Regional services, dementia care, complex clinical care and flexible shift coverage may offer valuable opportunities.

Home-based care is also growing as older Australians seek more choice over where they receive support. Workers considering this pathway can explore how services are changing in the Support at Home year-one provider guide.

Find your next aged care opportunity with Healthcare Australia

For nurses and AINs, the aged care reform brings higher expectations, but it also creates opportunities for qualified workers seeking flexible shifts, varied experience and meaningful work. Explore current aged care jobs with Healthcare Australia and find a position that suits your qualifications, availability and career goals.