Coronavirus is serving to highlight the already-known problems in aged care. Fixing them will require considerably more leadership, action, resources and long-term commitment than has been demonstrated to date in addressing the essential, urgent and obvious short-term needs.

Will the coronavirus pandemic serve as the needed wake-up call for the way aged care is operated, funded and regulated? And can the demand for increased resources be met at a time when government budgets are in deep deficit? The crucial decisions that come next will determine not just how aged care residents and services fare in the pandemic, but the trajectory for future needed reforms.