Hawkesbury families considering residential or home-based aged care can now examine complaints made about individual providers and nursing homes following a significant expansion of public reporting.
For the first time, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has published provider-level complaints information in its 2025–26 annual report.
Previously, the Commission regularly released information about complaints and performance across the aged care sector, but people could not readily see the number and types of complaints associated with a particular provider or residential home.
The newly released tables cover complaints received and resolved between November 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. They identify complaint issues, outcomes, the time taken to resolve matters and requests for reconsideration.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Liz Hefren-Webb said the change represented an important improvement in transparency and accountability.
“For the first time, people can see the complaints issues being raised about individual aged care providers and residential aged care homes, providing another source of information when making decisions about care,” Commissioner Hefren-Webb said.
The information could assist Hawkesbury residents comparing residential homes or deciding which provider should deliver care to an older family member at home.
It may also help families already receiving aged care identify whether other people have raised similar concerns about matters such as staffing, personal care, medication, food, communication or management.
However, the Commission cautioned against treating complaint numbers as a simple ranking of good and bad providers.
Large organisations caring for many people could be expected to attract more complaints than small providers. The nature and complexity of the services being delivered could also affect the number and types of concerns raised.
“Complaint numbers do not, by themselves, provide a complete measure of the quality or safety of care,” Commissioner Hefren-Webb said.
“They should be considered alongside other relevant information, including the size of the provider and the types of services it delivers.”
A complaint also does not necessarily mean that a provider breached its obligations. Some matters may be resolved through explanation, mediation or changes to the care being delivered.
Families should consider the data alongside accreditation results, compliance and enforcement history, staffing information, star ratings, personal inspections and conversations with residents and their relatives.
The Commission said publishing the figures would also allow providers to identify emerging risks, improve their services and become more accountable for the experiences of people in their care.
The new reporting requirement was introduced under the Aged Care Act 2024 and the Aged Care Rules 2025.
The provider and residential-home complaint tables appear in Appendix 3, pages 176 to 314, of the Commission’s 2025–26 annual report.
People can make a complaint about an aged care service by contacting the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822. Complaints can concern a person’s own care or care being received by somebody else, and may be made anonymously.
Source: ACQSC Media release
