An evaluation of the care finder program which forms part of the Australian Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. This first report provides an overview of evaluation activities to date, preliminary findings and early lessons learned.

This study investigated the benefits and risks to: older people who self-manage their home care package; their support workers; and ways to mitigate these risks. The findings highlight how older people can successfully self-manage their aged Home Care Package and how risks can be managed.

Recognising diverse expertise makes for better policy, the Australia Cares project was founded to enable community-led policy development shaped by lived experience, and community and academic expertise. Drawing together the findings of 18 months of collaboration, deliberation and experimentation, this report marks the conclusion of the first phase of the project.

The care sector plays a pivotal role in our everyday lives, in our communities and in the economy. As the care sector becomes a larger part of the economy, the authors of this report argue that innovation in the sector is becoming increasingly important.

This report examines the recommendations proposed by the Aged Care Taskforce to support an aged care system that is sustainable, fair and facilitates greater innovation in the sector.