Webinar 6: Principle 4 – Connect with community

Redesigning Aged Care for Connection

Australia's residential aged care system is undergoing its most significant overhaul in decades following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which exposed systemic failures including institutionalised, isolating environments. In response, the government introduced the New Aged Care Act, effective from November 2025, shifting towards rights-based, person-centred care with stricter obligations on providers to deliver dignified living conditions.

Central to these changes are the National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines, which outline four core principles for improving accommodation in residential aged care homes. Principle 4, 'Connect with Community', specifically targets the epidemic of loneliness and disconnection among older people, many of whom spend years in facilities with limited external interaction. The principle promotes design elements like visible cafes, neighbourhood interfaces, and spaces that facilitate family visits and community engagement to enable residents to maintain social ties and participate in meaningful activities.

The timing is critical: providers must align new builds, renovations, and existing facilities with these guidelines amid rising compliance expectations under the reformed regulatory framework. Non-compliance can result in sanctions, funding reductions, or restrictions on operations, while evidence shows that better-connected environments reduce depression, slow cognitive decline, and lower overall healthcare utilisation.

Non-obvious challenges include reconciling community openness with resident safety, especially in dementia-specific settings where wandering risks or infection control remain priorities. Providers also face cost pressures—retrofitting for better connectivity can require significant capital investment—against a backdrop of workforce shortages and constrained budgets. Yet, designs that integrate community access have shown potential to improve staff satisfaction by creating less institutional workplaces and attract better talent.

The broader stakes involve Australia's demographic shift: by 2040, the number of people over 85 will triple, intensifying demand for quality aged care places that support not just survival but continued social participation.