As the Aged Care Act 2024 ushers in a new era of reform, aged-care providers are re-evaluating how they deliver allied health — a critical pillar of reablement, functional independence, and quality of life for older Australians.
In recent years, Australia’s healthcare landscape has begun to shift in subtle but significant ways. Two of the country’s largest private health insurers — Medibank and Australian Unity — are no longer just paying for health services. Increasingly, they are also delivering them.
We’re keeping people occupied, but not always helping them stay mobile, engaged, or as independent as they could be. And it’s not because we don’t care—it’s because the system is stuck in an outdated model that over-relies on social engagement and under-delivers on rehabilitation.
The Australian aged care sector is at a crossroads. With growing pressure from an ageing population, widespread workforce shortages, and increasing demand for personalised, multidisciplinary care, the industry must embrace new models of service delivery. Telehealth and virtual care are no longer emerging innovations—they’re becoming essential infrastructure.
As Australia prepares to implement the Support at Home program, aged care providers and policymakers have a rare opportunity to reimagine what care at home could—and should—look like. At the heart of this reform lies an important but often misunderstood concept: restorative care.
You’re in your 80s. You’ve lived a full life. You’ve raised children, worked hard, contributed to your community. Now, in your final chapter, you find yourself in residential aged care—surrounded by structure, staff, and services designed to keep you “safe.”
In a sweeping wave of acquisitions, major health insurers like Medibank, Bupa, and Australian Unity are buying up allied health companies, general practices, and in-home care services. They’re building end-to-end healthcare ecosystems — and locking consumers and providers inside.
In residential aged care, promoting wellbeing through movement and physical activity is a shared goal across disciplines — and rightly so. However, when it comes to the assessment, prescription, and progression of exercise programs for conditions like sarcopenia, expertise matters.
The introduction of the Support at Home Program brings renewed focus on restoring independence and preventing functional decline for older Australians living in the community. However, there’s a growing concern that those in residential aged care are being systematically overlooked when it comes to restorative care.
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare policy, change is inevitable. But when new eligibility criteria risk excluding some of our most vulnerable citizens, it’s worth pausing to ask: Are we getting it right?
