AGED CARE 

We partner with residential and home care providers to build procurement and supply chain models that keep pace with reform, protect margins, and support quality of care.
Our scalable service offerings are tailored to your funding model, footprint and risk profile. 

Procurement That Keeps Pace With Aged Care Reform

Aged care is operating under the most significant regulatory change in a generation. The new Aged Care Act commenced on 1 November 2025, replacing a compliance-based framework with a rights-based, outcomes-focused model.

Providers are now expected to demonstrate 24/7 registered nurse coverage, deliver 200+ minutes of care per resident per day, and operate under strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, alongside expanded whistleblower protections and a Statement of Rights for older Australians.

At the same time, Support at Home has replaced Home Care Packages with eight funding levels, demand continues to outpace supply across both residential and home care, and providers are absorbing rising labour, consumables and compliance costs. Procurement has become one of the few remaining levers providers can pull to protect viability without compromising care.

Aged Care Viability Challenges

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• Regulatory Reform – Transitioning to the rights-based Aged Care Act, new Quality Standards, and revised fee arrangements for residents entering care after 1 November 2025.

• Workforce Shortages – Meeting mandated care-minute and 24/7 registered nurse requirements against a tight labour market.

• Rising Costs – Escalating labour, consumables, energy and capital costs strain already thin margins.

• Demand and Capacity Pressure – Waitlists for Support at Home packages continue to grow, increasing pressure on service delivery models.

• Supply Chain Fragility – Ongoing volatility in consumables, medical supplies and contracted services.

• Governance and Compliance Overhead – Whistleblower protections, provider registration and reporting obligations add administrative load.

• Sustainability Expectations – Balancing environmental commitments against tight operating budgets.

Reframing Procurement in Aged Care

August Consulting works with aged care providers to uplift procurement capability, embed governance that satisfies regulators and boards, and build sourcing models that are defensible under the new rights-based framework.

We help providers define success upfront, engage clinical and care teams early, and ensure procurement decisions are grounded in operational reality rather than process for its own sake.

Strategic Sourcing and Contract Management
Aged care contracts, whether for nursing agency staff, catering, cleaning, clinical consumables or maintenance, need to hold up to regulatory scrutiny as well as commercial rigour. Our procurement consultants support tender design, market engagement and negotiation, and build contract management frameworks that track supplier performance against both cost and quality of care outcomes.

AGED CARE SERVICE OFFERINGS

Procurement as a Service
Flexible access to procurement expertise scaled to your provider size, from single-site residential operators to multi-site aged care groups.
Interim and ongoing procurement support that doesn't require a full-time hire.

Opportunities and Cost Optimisation
Spend analysis across clinical consumables, agency labour, catering, cleaning and facilities to identify savings without compromising care standards.
Clear, actionable roadmaps that address short-term cost pressure while supporting long-term sustainability under the new funding model.

Strategic Sourcing and Market Engagement
Tender management and supplier negotiation for clinical, care and facilities contracts.
Sourcing strategies that balance cost, quality and compliance with Aged Care Quality Standards.

Capability, Transformation and Change Management
Governance frameworks that satisfy board and regulatory expectations under the new Aged Care Act.
Support for staff and care teams through procurement-led change.
We partner with a range of aged care providers to help them invest wisely in procurement and supply chains to drive efficiencies and reduce costs.

In response to the challenges in the aged care sectors today, we offer a range of scalable procurement and supply chain service offerings, tailored to align with your needs.