Older Australians are feeling mixed emotions as landmark aged care reforms take effect.
From Saturday, new rules require some care recipients to pay more for support services in a bid to get the industry on a more even keel and improve the quality of care on offer.
While clinical support such as nursing and physiotherapy will still be fully subsidised, other services such as showering will now have a fee associated with them.
But the overhaul will be grandfathered, meaning older Australians already in care will not be left worse off.
The changes also include updated rights for older Australians around independence, privacy, safety and quality.
Older Persons Advocacy Network chief executive Craig Gear welcomed the statement of rights but told AAP he would be watching to ensure it was followed by providers.
He warned companies were changing their pricing for home care in response to the reforms, which could leave some people who are trying to enter care worse off.
"People coming in on a current package may have less purchasing power," he said.
Mr Gear said while some people were pleased their rights were enshrined in legislation, there was also a period of uncertainty ahead.
"Some people are feeling confused about what this means," he said.
Council on the Ageing chief executive Patricia Sparrow said some of the detail would become clearer in coming days as the changes worked their way through the system.
"The changes are large, and people are trying to take them in," she told AAP.
The laws cover residential aged care and home care, and stem from the final report of the royal commission into aged care, which was handed down in 2021.
More tiers of home care will be introduced to ensure people's packages are better matched to the support they need.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said the changes marked a shift for older Australians.
"With these reforms, we are no longer just patching a broken system," he said in a statement.
"We are fulfilling a promise to deliver dignity, choice and respect to every person who has spent their life contributing to their community and our country."
The aged care sector will come under increasing pressure in coming years as large numbers of baby boomers begin requiring more support, and questions remain about the capacity of the industry's workforce to deliver the care required.
