Residential aged care complaints up 24% in 2 years: what the rules now ask of open disclosure and training
In 2024-25, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission received 6,302 complaints about residential care, up 24% on 2022-23.
By Kim Loza, Head of Product at People Tech Revolution
6,302
Residential complaints to the regulator in a year
ACQSC Sector Performance Report, 2024-25
1,811
Residential complaints, highest quarter in the series
ACQSC, July to September 2025
35%
Rise in Priority 2 serious incident notifications
ACQSC SIRS data, 2022 to 2025
5 of 130
CQC prosecutions brought for the duty of candour
CQC prosecutions list, 2009 to 2026
The rise
Are complaints about aged care rising?
They are, and faster than occupancy: residential complaints rose from 5,077 (2022-23) to 6,302 (2024-25), a rise of 24% (ACQSC).
See the data (complaints per quarter)
| Sep 2022 | Dec 2022 | Mar 2023 | Jun 2023 | Sep 2023 | Dec 2023 | Mar 2024 | Jun 2024 | Sep 2024 | Dec 2024 | Mar 2025 | Jun 2025 | Sep 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential complaints | 1,223 | 1,251 | 1,346 | 1,257 | 1,268 | 1,144 | 1,413 | 1,489 | 1,514 | 1,451 | 1,606 | 1,731 | 1,811 |
Complaints per quarter, quarters ending September 2022 to September 2025. Source: ACQSC Sector Performance Report, April to June 2025, Figure 10; July to October 2025 report, Figure 17.
July to September 2025 was the highest quarter: 1,811
The rate per 10,000 occupied bed days was stable at 0.7 or 0.8 during 2022-23 and 2023-24, with a brief dip, reached 0.9 during 2024-25 and 1.1 in July to September 2025. So complaints grew faster than resident days.
So what for you: Benchmark your service on the rate the Commission uses, not on a raw count.
A count that reads 2 ways
The Commission says a higher count “can be because a provider is encouraging feedback”, and can also mean its complaints system is “not working well” (Sector Performance Report).
The long run
How far back does the rise go?
Complaints to the Commission rose 22% over 5 years, from 7,828 (2018-19) to 9,566 (2023-24) (ACQSC annual reports).
See the data (complaints per year)
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All complaints | 7,828 | 8,539 | 9,220 | 10,326 | 9,198 | 9,566 |
Complaints per financial year, 2018-19 to 2023-24. Source: ACQSC Annual Reports 2019-20 to 2023-24, complaints received.
A peak of 10,326 (2021-22), then a new climb
Residential care made up 74% of complaints in 2019-20. Home services had 1,276 complaints in July to September 2025, 1,139 about Home Care Packages (ACQSC).
So what for you: Plan complaints capability as a standing need.
At home, communication comes top
“Lack of communication or consultation is the most complained about issue over the last 3 years” in home services, the Commission reports (Figure 13).
Serious incidents
Which serious incidents are growing?
Mostly Priority 2: from July to September 2022 to April to June 2025, residential Priority 2 notifications rose 35% and Priority 1 rose 12% (ACQSC).
See the data (notifications per quarter)
| Sep 2022 | Dec 2022 | Mar 2023 | Jun 2023 | Sep 2023 | Dec 2023 | Mar 2024 | Jun 2024 | Sep 2024 | Dec 2024 | Mar 2025 | Jun 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority 2 | 7,572 | 7,737 | 8,019 | 8,571 | 9,270 | 9,802 | 9,794 | 9,994 | 10,245 | 10,476 | 10,208 | 10,221 |
| Priority 1 | 4,105 | 4,599 | 4,758 | 4,325 | 4,527 | 4,529 | 4,625 | 4,414 | 4,772 | 4,458 | 4,591 | 4,603 |
Notifications per quarter, quarters ending September 2022 to June 2025. Source: ACQSC Sector Performance Report, April to June 2025, Figure 7.
Priority 2 carries the growth
Quarterly totals went from 11,677 to 14,824, and 15,216 in July to September 2025. By year: 49,686 (2022-23) and 59,574 (2024-25).
So what for you: Expect more incident conversations with families each quarter, most of them outside the 24 hour clock.
See the data (notifications)
| Measure | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Unreasonable use of force | 7,221 |
| Neglect | 4,328 |
| Psychological or emotional abuse | 1,646 |
| Unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct | 597 |
| Unexplained absence from care | 366 |
| Unexpected death | 295 |
| Inappropriate use of restrictive practices | 198 |
| Stealing or financial coercion by a staff member | 173 |
Notifications, April to June 2025. Source: ACQSC Sector Performance Report, April to June 2025, Figure 23.
Force and neglect make up most reports
“Unreasonable use of force accounts for more reports than all other incident types combined”: 7,221 of 14,824 (ACQSC). Priority 1 incidents must be notified within 24 hours; Priority 2 within 30 days.
So what for you: Each notification is also a conversation with the person and their family.
Incidents carry a disclosure step
The Aged Care Rules 2025 require providers to involve each person affected by an incident, or their supporter, and to use “an open disclosure process” (r 164-40(1)(b)).
The rules
What do the rules now ask of open disclosure?
An open disclosure process for every complaint matter, and for when handling a complaint goes wrong, under r 165-35(2) of the Aged Care Rules 2025.
Saying sorry is part of it
After harm or possible harm, the Commission’s steps are: check the person is okay, acknowledge the harm and its impact, say sorry, then explain and prevent (ACQSC).
Training is a duty on the provider
Providers must train workers “how to recognise and respond to complaints and feedback”, to communicate clearly, and “when and how to escalate” (r 165-20(1)(e), Aged Care Rules 2025).
Rights, and protection for those who speak
The Aged Care Act 2024 gives a right to “open communication” and to complaints “dealt with fairly and promptly” (s 23(9)), without reprisal (s 165).
In force since 1 November 2025
The strengthened Quality Standards applied from that date, and the complaints system must “require that the provider practise open disclosure” (r 165-15(1)(n), Aged Care Rules 2025).
Other systems
Is communication a complaint problem outside aged care?
It is: communications is the largest subject in English hospital complaints, 17.1% in 2023-24 (NHS England), and 11.7% of NSW health complaint issues (HCCC).
See the data (percent)
| Measure | Percent |
|---|---|
| England, hospital and community complaints, 2020-21 | 18.0% |
| England, hospital and community complaints, 2021-22 | 17.4% |
| England, hospital and community complaints, 2023-24 | 17.1% |
| NSW, issues in complaints about medical practitioners, 2024-25 | 13.1% |
| NSW, issues in all health complaints, 2024-25 | 11.7% |
Percent of complaints by subject (England) or of issues raised (NSW), 2020-21 to 2024-25. Source: NHS England, Data on Written Complaints in the NHS; NSW HCCC Annual Report 2024-25.
The same subject, counted 2 ways
England counts complaints by subject; NSW counts 19,213 issues, where communication ranks third after treatment (46.4%) and professional conduct (18.8%).
So what for you: Start complaints training with listening and explaining, where the data points.
See the data (complaints per year)
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW HCCC | 7,299 | 7,852 | 8,702 | 10,108 | 9,159 | 9,460 | 10,500 |
| Victorian HCC | 6,081 | 5,895 | 5,246 | 6,191 | 5,724 | 5,582 | 5,494 |
Complaints per financial year, 2018-19 to 2024-25. Source: NSW HCCC Annual Reports; Victorian HCC Annual Reports.
NSW up 44%, Victoria down 10%
NSW went from 7,299 to 10,500; Victoria from 6,081 to 5,494. NSW counted 38 complaints about aged care facilities as health organisations in 2024-25.
So what for you: Read state trends as context; the aged care regulator holds the aged care count.
England: candour carries an apology
After a notifiable safety incident, the notice under regulation 20 must “include an apology”, followed up in writing. “Apologising is not an admission of liability”, says the Care Quality Commission.
The harm test, not the channel
For care providers the threshold is harm such as death, impairment for “a continuous period of at least 28 days” or “prolonged psychological harm” (regulation 20(9)); for health service bodies, “severe harm, moderate harm or prolonged psychological harm” (20(8)). Other complaints sit under regulation 16.
Candour is prosecuted: 5 of 130
5 of 130 CQC prosecutions since 2009 were for the duty of candour, the latest in February 2026.
United States
What do US nursing facilities owe a complaint?
A grievance process with a named official and written decisions, and immediate notice of changes, under 42 CFR 483.10; there is no federal candour duty (eCFR).
See the data (complaints per federal fiscal year)
| FFY2019 | FFY2020 | FFY2021 | FFY2022 | FFY2023 | FFY2024 | FFY2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response to complaints (D05) | 1,373 | 1,397 | 1,445 | 1,396 | 1,613 | 1,837 | 2,024 |
Complaints per federal fiscal year, FFY2019 to FFY2025. Source: ACL, NORS Multi-Year Complaint Trend FFY2019-2023; FFY2021-2025, sheet Complaint Type NF.
Complaints about complaint handling rose 47%
All nursing facility complaints moved 1% (142,051 to 143,252), while D05 went from 1,373 to 2,024.
So what for you: Families notice how a complaint is handled, as much as the original issue.
Grievances, notifications and clocks
Suspected crimes are reported within 2 hours where there is serious bodily injury, otherwise 24 hours (42 CFR 483.12). Surveyors cited the grievance tag F585 768 times in 2024 and 694 times in 2025 (CMS).
Demand
Is interest in open disclosure rising?
It is: Australian searches for “open disclosure” averaged 37.6 across 2025 and 67.7 from January to September 2026 (Google Trends).
See the data (Google Trends index, yearly mean)
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 (Jan to Sep) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| open disclosure | 32.8 | 40.1 | 39.7 | 38.0 | 33.8 | 37.6 | 67.7 |
| aged care complaints | 31.3 | 28.2 | 25.8 | 25.1 | 23.8 | 25.7 | 26.4 |
Relative search index (0 to 100 within the query set), 2020 to September 2026. Source: Google Trends, Australia, captured 26 September 2026.
Open disclosure searches peaked in May 2026
Searches for aged care complaints stayed between 23.8 and 31.3. In the UK, “duty of candour” rose from 53.4 (2020) to 75.8 (2025) (Google Trends).
So what for you: Families may arrive knowing the term; staff should be able to explain it.
Who needs the training
414,000 direct care staff worked across Australian aged care in 2023 (AIHW workforce survey), and 707 providers ran 2,590 residential services in June 2025 (AIHW GEN).
England and the US
England has 30,000 CQC-regulated adult social care establishments and 1.60 million filled posts in 2024/25 (Skills for Care); the US has 14,690 certified nursing homes (CMS).
The evidence
Which reports and datasets does this rest on?
A row per source, with what it counts and what it found.
| Study | Design | Sample | What was measured | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACQSC (2020 to 2024), Annual Reports | Regulator annual reports | All complaints to the Commission | Complaints received | 7,828 to 9,566 |
| ACQSC (2025), Sector Performance Report, April to June 2025 | Quarterly regulator data | Residential care | Complaints, SIRS | 5,077 to 6,302 a year |
| ACQSC (2025), Sector Performance Report, July to October 2025 | Quarterly regulator data | Residential and home services | Complaints and rate | 1,811; rate 1.1 |
| ACQSC (2026), Good complaints practice for providers | Regulator guidance | Registered providers | Open disclosure steps | Includes saying sorry |
| NHS England (2024), Data on Written Complaints in the NHS | National statistics | All NHS written complaints | Complaints by subject | 241,922; communications 17.1% |
| NSW HCCC (2025), Annual Report 2024-25 | Regulator annual report | NSW health complaints | Complaints and issues | 10,500; communication 11.7% |
| ACL (2026), NORS Multi-Year Complaint Trend | Ombudsman program data | US nursing facilities | Complaints by type | D05 up 47% |
| CMS (2026), Health Deficiencies | Survey citations | US nursing homes | Tag F585 grievances | 694 citations in 2025 |
| CQC (2026), List of prosecutions | Enforcement list | Prosecutions since 2009 | Regulation breached | 5 of 130 for candour |
| AIHW (2024), 2023 Aged Care Provider Workforce Survey | Provider survey | Australian aged care providers | Staff by role | 414,000 direct care |
Decisions
What does this mean for a buyer?
5 decisions, in the order a complaint meets them.
- Train the opening conversation. Communication tops home services complaints and makes up 17.1% of English hospital and community complaints; the training is a provider duty (r 165-20(1)(e)).
- Rehearse open disclosure with the apology in it. The Commission’s steps include saying sorry; in England 5 of 130 CQC prosecutions were for candour.
- Use it for complaints as well as incidents. Residential complaints reached 1,811 in July to September 2025, and each complaint matter needs an open disclosure process.
- Benchmark on the rate. The sector rate rose from 0.8 to 1.1 per 10,000 occupied bed days; read your own rise as the Commission does, as trust or as a failing system.
- Plan for Priority 2 conversations. Priority 2 notifications rose 35% in under 3 years; force made up 7,221 of 14,824 reports in April to June 2025.
Board paper lines, ready to paste into a business case
Complaints about Australian residential aged care rose from 5,077 (2022-23) to 6,302 (2024-25) and reached 1,811 in July to September 2025 (Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Sector Performance Reports). Since 1 November 2025, providers must use an open disclosure process for complaint matters and incidents, and must train workers to recognise, respond to and escalate complaints (Aged Care Rules 2025, r 165-35(2), r 164-40 and r 165-20(1)(e)). Communication is a top complaint subject beyond aged care, at 17.1% of English hospital and community complaints (NHS England, 2023-24) and 11.7% of issues in NSW health complaints (Health Care Complaints Commission, 2024-25).
Limits and method
The series count complaints and notifications, not the quality of care or how often disclosure happens.
- Later reports restate annual totals slightly; each year here comes from its own ACQSC annual report.
- Quarterly counts are Figure 10 data labels (April to June 2025 report); 2022-23 and 2023-24 quarter order is read from the chart layout.
- SIRS sums from the quarterly chart (56,955 for 2023-24) differ from the annual report’s 56,841, which leaves out unprioritised notifications.
- SIRS began in April 2021 (residential) and October to December 2022 (home services).
- The Sector Performance Reports pause after July to October 2025, and data from 1 November 2025 sits on a new basis under the Aged Care Act 2024, so no chart crosses that date.
- NHS 2020-21 is a pandemic low; the NHS 2024-25 total was not read.
- NORS counts ombudsman complaints (sheet Complaint Type NF) by federal fiscal year, October to September, not facility grievances. CMS Health Deficiencies is a rolling 3-year window.
- CQC counts prosecutions, not charges; regulation 20A (display of ratings) is a different offence, left out.
- Google Trends is relative within each query set and country; 2026 is a part year.
- No public count of open disclosure conversations appears in the Commission’s reports; evidence on complaints training outcomes was outside this read.
- Every source was read on 26 September 2026.
Where PTR fits
PTR builds VR and AI roleplay practice for the conversations these rules describe: hearing a complaint, explaining what happened and saying sorry. Start with training for aged care educators and difficult conversations, plan with how a pilot runs, and see AI roleplay practice, immersive training and roleplay and aged care and disability.
Cite this research
Free to quote and cite with a link to this page. Name the version you read, so readers can see what has changed since.
APA 7
Loza, K. (2026, September 27). Residential aged care complaints up 24% in 2 years: what the rules now ask of open disclosure and training (Version 2.0). People Tech Revolution. https://peopletechrevolution.com/insights/aged-care-complaints-open-disclosure
Data: ACQSC annual reports 2019-20 to 2023-24 and Sector Performance Reports (April to June 2025, July to October 2025); NHS England Data on Written Complaints; NSW HCCC and Victorian HCC annual reports; ACL NORS workbooks; CMS Health Deficiencies; the CQC prosecutions list; the Australian, English and US legislation in Sources; Google Trends. Read 26 September 2026.
Version history
| Version | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Version 2.0 | Rebuilt on national data: ACQSC complaints and serious incident series, NHS England, NSW and Victorian complaints, US ombudsman and CMS data, CQC prosecutions, search demand. | |
| Version 1.0 | First published. |
Sources
Each report, dataset and rule at its publisher.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (2025). Sector Performance Report, Q4 April to June 2025. Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Complaints and SIRS, 2022 to 2025.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (2025). Sector Performance Report, July to October 2025. Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Latest quarter before the new Act.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (2024). Annual Report 2023-24. Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Complaints and SIRS, 2023-24.
Commonwealth of Australia (2025). Aged Care Rules 2025, Compilation No. 10. Federal Register of Legislation
Complaints, incidents, open disclosure.
Commonwealth of Australia (2024). Aged Care Act 2024. Federal Register of Legislation
Statement of Rights, complaints.
Care Quality Commission (2026). Prosecutions brought by CQC. CQC
Prosecutions list.
NHS England (2024). Data on Written Complaints in the NHS, 2023-24. NHS England Digital
Complaints by subject.
NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (2025). Annual Report 2024-25. HCCC
Complaints and issues.
Health Complaints Commissioner (2025). Annual Report 2024-25. HCC Victoria
Complaints received.
US Government (2026). 42 CFR 483.10 Resident rights. eCFR
Grievances and notification.
CMS (2026). Health Deficiencies. CMS Provider Data
Grievance citations.
