July marked both an ending and a beginning. The delay of the Aged Care Act to November 1st gave us unexpected breathing room, but our final webinar in the series revealed something more telling: the questions you're asking show exactly where the sector's head and heart are right now.
The Anticlimax That Wasn't
"I'm feeling a little bit deflated. Excited, but deflated. It's a bit of an anticlimax."
I said this at the start of our webinar on what was meant to be implementation day. But what followed was anything but anticlimactic—it was one of the most revealing conversations we've had about where providers really stand.
The questions that flooded in weren't about high-level policy interpretation. They were granular, practical, and sometimes beautifully human:
- "Will the education we've been doing in the first half of 2025 count, or do we have to do it all again?"
- "If ten residents are interviewed and one complains about food, would that result in failing reregistration?"
- "How do you apply restricted practice in someone's home? You can't lock someone in their home or tie them to the bed—it's all ridiculous."
These aren't just questions about compliance. They're questions about how to do right by people while navigating an imperfect system.
What Mark Sheldon-Stem's Commission Conversations Revealed
Our expert panellist Mark shared fresh insights from recent discussions with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission that cut through speculation:
The Audit Reality Check
- No more unannounced accreditation visits (though they can still drop by if your data suggests problems)
- Four-stage reregistration process: submit materials → commission review → questions → site visit
- New scaling system: excellent, good, not so good, really poor (goodbye pass/fail)
- Provider and service level assessments: you might pass at the provider level but struggle at the individual service level
The Documentation Truth
"If it's not documented, it never happened. Documentation is absolutely king."
But this isn't about paperwork for paperwork's sake—it's about having systems that actually track how you respond to changes in someone's condition or circumstances.
The Questions That Cut to the Core
On Training and Competency
The elephant in the room: what does "competency-based training" actually mean? Are we talking rigorous ASQA-style practical assessment, or will multiple-choice questions suffice?
Our take: We're preparing for the more rigorous interpretation because that's what actually builds capability, not just compliance.
On Consumer Partnerships
"They have the right to say whether you can enter their room. So if they say, 'I don't want you to enter my room,' then they have that right."
This isn't about making care impossible—it's about fundamentally changing the conversation from "It's time for your shower" to "Would you like to have a shower now?"
On Lifestyle and Daily Living
Standard 7 represents a seismic shift. Lifestyle isn't a nice-to-have anymore—it's core business. You need to "minimize boredom and loneliness, promote quality of life, maintain connections." The commission will be looking for evidence of genuine co-design, not just menus written by management.
The Readiness Reality
Mark's honest assessment? About 60% of providers are ready, 40% are still struggling.
Some organizations are still saying "there's nothing much difference between the old standards and new standards." If that's your position, you need to understand: this is a paradigm shift.
What Success Actually Looks Like
The most successful providers aren't those with perfect policies—they're those who've embraced the cultural shift. As Mark put it:
"If you're already in that partnership with your residents or clients and families, and you got those relationships going, this is not a big change."
The winning formula isn't complex:
- Start now: Don't wait for November 1st. Live the standards today.
- Train everyone: From board to floor, everyone needs to understand their role.
- Document your systems: Show how you identify needs, respond to changes, and evaluate outcomes.
- Build real partnerships: Co-design isn't a checkbox—it's a mindset.
The November 1st Mindset
Mark's board has been operating under the new standards since July 1st.
"When it comes November one, we just continue to roll on."
That's the mindset that turns regulatory compliance into genuine improvement.
The extra four months isn't just breathing room—it's an opportunity to get this right. Because when the commission does come calling, they won't just be auditing your policies. They'll be talking to your people, checking your relationships, and seeing if the care you provide matches the partnership you claim to offer.
The Bottom Line
Your questions reveal where you are, and frankly, they're the right questions. You're thinking about real people in real situations, not just regulatory boxes to tick. That's exactly the mindset the new standards are designed to nurture.
The sector is ready for this conversation. Now it's time to have it.
Watch the full webinar recording at the top of this article to hear all the questions, insights, and practical guidance from our expert panel.
This was the final webinar in our six-part series on the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. All recordings are available on the Ausmed YouTube channel.
