Inspector-General Issues Scathing Report: My Aged Care Must Be ‘Reimagined’ as Complex and Inequitable ‘Maze’
The Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care (IGAC) has released its inaugural review of My Aged Care (MAC), concluding that the system—intended as the single-entry point or ‘front door’ to Australian Government-funded aged care services—is not fit-for-purpose in facilitating equitable access for all older people.
The review sought to answer critical questions: Is the front door to aged care open to everyone? Is it easy to find, easy to use, fair, and equitable? And crucially: Does it reflect the rights and dignity enshrined in the new Aged Care Act 2024 . The Inspector-General, Natalie Siegel-Brown, stated that the findings are clear: for many, the answer to these questions is no.
The report determined that too many older people—particularly those from diverse backgrounds or remote communities, and those with complex needs or limited digital literacy—are still struggling to access the care they need, when they need it. For many, the experience is more akin to navigating a maze.
Four Foundational Failures Identified
The Inspector-General found that the systemic issues plaguing MAC are not new, having plagued the system since its inception in 2013. These foundational issues are hindering timely and effective entry into the aged care system:
- My Aged Care is not well known, is poorly understood and is insufficiently promoted.
- It remains onerously complex to navigate and is not appropriately tailored to the needs of the whole of the target population.
- It relies on a model of delivery and a workforce that are not conducive to the provision of personalized support.
- It is not equitable for older people from diverse backgrounds and those with complex needs.
The integrity of the system is vital because an older person cannot receive any type of Australian Government funded aged care service without an assessment processed through MAC to establish that care is needed.
Complexity and Digital Barriers
A major issue highlighted is the system’s over-reliance on digital technologies, which excludes a significant cohort of older people who have lower digital literacy or lack reliable internet access. The website is intended to be the primary source of information, yet the current form is deemed not appropriately tailored to older people’s needs, often featuring poor navigability and complex click-through journeys.
The Inspector-General found that the centralized contact centre model is not conducive to providing personalized support, which is critical since many people engage with MAC at a time of crisis or heightened stress. Furthermore, high rates of contact centre staff attrition significantly impact the consistency and reliability of support. Mandatory minimum training requirements are also considered not fit-for-purpose, failing to ensure staff are equipped with soft skills such as cultural safety, trauma-aware, and healing-informed care.
Inequitable Access for Vulnerable Groups
The review stressed that the lack of equity of access is highly pronounced for specific populations:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: The system is not currently fit-for-purpose for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Barriers include low awareness, low digital inclusion, and a lack of cultural safety, which is especially traumatic for Stolen Generation survivors. Rigid identification requirements often act as a barrier to entry, particularly for those who lack a birth certificate.
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds: Language barriers are problematic, and My Aged Care needs to be proactive in offering interpreter services. The current service design is geared toward a more culturally, linguistically and ethnically homogenous ageing population.
- Regional, Rural, and Remote Areas: Older people in these locations are underserviced by My Aged Care. They face compounding disadvantages like poor internet connections, which exacerbate long wait times for assessment services and limit access to face-to-face supports.
Call for Transformative Action
The Inspector-General emphasized that commitment to action is long overdue. The success of future reforms hinges on implementing changes in concert with one another to drive transformative change, not merely tweaking discrete action items.
The IGAC submitted seven thematic areas for recommendations that the government and the department should action:
- Improving public awareness of the aged care system.
- Improving public awareness and understanding of My Aged Care.
- Reducing system complexity, including redesigning the website using “complexity-compatible design” and improving interoperability with systems like My Health Record and MyGov.
- Increasing capacity and capability of the My Aged Care workforce.
- Increasing access to navigational and face-to-face supports.
- Enabling equitable access to aged care.
- Commitment to action and publicly reporting progress biannually.
The Inspector-General concluded that the front door to aged care needs to be reimagined—not just widened—so that no one is left standing outside.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing acknowledged the comprehensive nature of the final report and stated that it accepts the majority of the recommendations in principle. The Department noted that work is already underway to improve website design and enhance integration with platforms such as My Health Record and MyGov.
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