“Choice, dignity and respect – your rights in aged care” key research findings
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the national regulator of Government-funded aged care services. It is our role to uphold the rights of older people and protect and enhance their safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Part of our role is to listen to older people, to help them understand their aged care rights, to help them speak up when something isn’t right and to help resolve their concerns.
Research scope
In early 2026, the Commission engaged WhereTo Research to conduct research on how older people and their supporters understand rights in aged care, recognise concerns, and navigate feedback and complaint pathways. Findings of the research were used by the Commission to identify where communications can most effectively support people to raise concerns.
WhereTo Research engaged with older people receiving home care and living in residential care, eligible non-recipients, supporters and First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD). The research included a national survey of nearly 2,300 older people and their supporters, 60 in-depth qualitative interviews and discussion groups.
Insights of this research helped shape the Commission’s national public information program, “Choice, dignity and respect – your rights in aged care.”
Research findings:
The research can be summarised into the following 3 key findings:
- Older people have a clear view of what good aged care looks like and while this is not always connected to formal rights and processes, their expectations closely align to the new rights based aged care laws.
- Raising concerns is not fully normalised and people often feel concerns should be serious before raising them.
- Whether people decide to act on a concern is not only about the seriousness of an issue but also shaped by fear of negative consequences, relationships and system barriers.
Key Finding 1: Older people and supporters are strongly aligned in expectations of what good aged care looks like and while this is not always connected to formal rights and processes, their expectations closely align to the new rights based aged care laws.
Over 80% of older people believe they can reasonably expect to:
- be treated with respect and dignity
- feel safe and well cared for
- be provided clear and honest information.
Over 70% of older people believe they can reasonably expect to:
- have their needs and preferences listened to
- be involved in decisions about their aged care
- know where they can get information or support.
Older people refer to rights as being treated with ‘humanity’, ‘respect’ and ‘dignity’ rather than through legal frameworks or formal protections. Increasing people’s knowledge of their rights builds their confidence and provides them with reassurance that they can expect quality aged care and if they have concerns, there are protections including the right to speak up.
Key Finding 2: Raising concerns is not fully normalised and people often feel concerns should be serious before raising them.
8 in 10 older people and their supporters agree that even small things can count as concerns and say they would feel comfortable raising a concern if something didn’t seem right. However, legitimacy and emotional burdens impact on whether action would be taken:
- 49% of people surveyed worry about impacts on relationships or care
- 43% still feel issues need to be serious before raising them
- 28% prefer to wait and see before raising a concern.
It is important that people are reassured that providing feedback is a key part of their relationship with their aged care provider. No concern is too small to raise, and providers are required by law to listen and help resolve people’s concerns.
Key Finding 3: Whether people decide to act on a concern is not only about the seriousness of an issue but also shaped by fear of negative consequences, relationships and system barriers.
The decision to speak up when something isn’t right with their care is rarely simple and can be influenced by many factors:
- 58% of people expressed perceived social and relational risk as a barrier to act on a concern and were worried about the potential impact on future care or support, didn’t want to seen as difficult or didn’t want conflict
- 67% would not act due to practical capacity and capability constraints such as the belief nothing would change, the process feeling too hard or overwhelming, or not knowing who to talk to.
Trusted relationships and clear information were found to be the key enablers that helped people to raise a concern with their provider. People were more likely to raise concerns if they had support from family, friends or an advocate and felt more comfortable raising concerns if their aged care provider, or staff listened to them. Providers are seen as the first point of contact and of those surveyed who have raised a concern, 65% raised their concerns first with their provider.
Diverse audiences
There are additional complexities for First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse older people around the notion of rights in aged care. Depending on their background, some culturally and linguistically diverse older people may be unfamiliar with the idea of ‘rights’ and they may view support as something to be ‘grateful’ for rather than something they are entitled to in aged care.
For First Nations participants, the understandings of rights can be shaped by history and past experiences and distrust of institutions, which may influence how rights in aged care are perceived. Despite these barriers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were more likely to speak up, with 90% of those surveyed advising they would act in response to concerns about their aged care.
Conclusion
Raising concerns in aged care is not a single decision, but a series of considerations and is dependent on a person’s individual circumstances and support network. The decision to act in practice depends on whether people feel safe, supported, and confident that acting on their concerns is worthwhile and possible.
Clear information on what to do, or who to contact, is critical to this. Promoting aged care rights and information on how to make a complaint can help people become more confident in speaking up.
Our goal is to help older people, their families and supporters understand they have rights and protections in aged care, that their concerns matter, and that there is a safe and supportive pathway for raising them.