Older Persons Advocacy Network: Free Aged Care Advocacy in Australia

What Is the Older Persons Advocacy Network?

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is a Commonwealth-funded national network that provides free, confidential, and independent advocacy for older Australians receiving — or seeking — aged care services. OPAN operates across every state and territory through member organisations, and its advocates are entirely separate from the providers, Centrelink, and any government department making funding decisions about your parent's care.

That independence matters more than most families realise. When a provider's admissions officer is explaining fee structures and sliding a resident agreement across the table, OPAN's advocates can sit beside the resident or their family and ask the questions that no one under commercial pressure has any incentive to raise.

OPAN's services cover residential aged care, home care, and the new Support at Home program. There is no income test, no assets threshold, and no limit on the number of times a family can contact them.

When to Contact OPAN

OPAN isn't only for formal complaints. Their advocates help with a range of situations that families encounter during an aged care transition:

• Disputes about care quality or safety — if a parent is not receiving the clinical or personal care they were assessed for, OPAN advocates can intervene directly with the provider's management.
• Contract pressure during admission — providers sometimes push guarantor clauses, mandatory Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF) agreements, or restrictive accommodation terms during the emotional rush of admission. OPAN can review the agreements before anyone signs.
• Billing confusion or fee disputes — aged care billing under the post-1 November 2025 framework splits costs across the Basic Daily Fee ($66.80/day as of March 2026), the Hotelling Contribution, and potentially the Non-Clinical Care Contribution. OPAN can help raise questions or support a billing dispute with the provider.
• Concerns about elder financial abuse — when a family member suspects that another relative or a third party is misusing a parent's finances or pressuring them into financial decisions, OPAN can provide guidance independent of the family dynamics.
• Assistance during ACAT assessments — an OPAN advocate can attend a clinical assessment to ensure the resident's needs are accurately captured in the National Support Plan.

To reach OPAN, call 1800 700 600 (free call from landlines) or visit opan.org.au.

How OPAN Differs from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

Families often confuse OPAN with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, but the two serve fundamentally different roles.

OPAN is an advocacy service — their advocates work alongside the resident and family to resolve issues directly with the provider. They help navigate conversations, negotiate outcomes, and ensure the resident's rights under the new Aged Care Act are respected. OPAN does not have regulatory power; they cannot sanction or penalise a provider.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the national regulator. If a provider is failing to meet clinical care standards, charging unapproved fees, or retaliating against a resident who raises concerns, the Commission can investigate, issue compliance notices, and impose sanctions. Families can lodge a complaint with the Commission by calling 1800 951 822 or through their online portal.

In practice, OPAN often helps families prepare before escalating to the Commission. If direct advocacy does not resolve the issue, an OPAN advocate can assist with structuring a formal complaint that clearly identifies the regulatory breach, which strengthens the Commission's ability to act.

OPAN's Role Under the New Aged Care Act

The Aged Care Act 2024 (effective 1 November 2025) introduced an enforceable Statement of Rights for aged care residents. These rights include the right to dignity, autonomy in daily living decisions, and transparent information about fees and care plans. OPAN advocates are trained specifically in these new rights, and they can help families understand what providers are legally required to deliver versus what falls into the optional Higher Everyday Living Fee category.

One area where OPAN's guidance is particularly valuable is around the new accommodation payment rules. Under the post-1 November 2025 framework, providers are legally required to deduct a 2% annual retention from any Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) paid by the resident. This retention is capped at five years and cannot be topped up or offset by increasing the Daily Accommodation Payment. If a provider's billing statements don't clearly separate the retention deduction, OPAN can request an itemised breakdown on the family's behalf.

Filing a Formal Aged Care Complaint

If advocacy doesn't resolve the issue, the formal complaints pathway follows a clear sequence:

1. Raise the issue directly with the provider — most providers have an internal complaints process, and documenting this step in writing creates a paper trail.
2. Contact OPAN (1800 700 600) for independent advocacy and support in escalating the matter.
3. Lodge a complaint with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (1800 951 822) if the provider fails to address the concern. The Commission can investigate and take regulatory action.
4. Contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman if the complaint involves a government agency (such as Services Australia or My Aged Care) rather than a provider.

Throughout this process, OPAN advocates can attend meetings, help draft written complaints, and ensure the resident's perspective is accurately represented.

Getting Help Before Problems Start

The most effective time to involve OPAN is before signing a resident agreement — not after a problem emerges. Their advocates can review the Service Agreement and the Accommodation Agreement before execution, flag problematic clauses such as compulsory guarantor requirements or unclear HELF charges, and help families understand the 14-day cooling-off period for the Service Agreement and the 28-day cooling-off period for the HELF.

For a structured walkthrough of the entire aged care fee system, the documents you need to gather, and the contract terms to watch for, the Paying for Residential Aged Care guide covers each step from the initial ACAT assessment through to ongoing monthly billing reviews.

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