5 ways Docusign helps aged care providers deliver on the rights-based Aged Care Act

The aged care sector is on the countdown to 1 November 2025, when the Aged Care Act 2024 comes into effect. A long time coming, this act will deliver sweeping reform across a previously beleaguered sector, with a focus on delivering a better care experience for older Australians.

The Act aims to create a more rights-based, transparent, and effective aged care system, with features like a single entry and assessment system, improved choice and control for individuals, and enhanced regulations all combining to set the sector up for a more successful future. It’s great news all round—although, for the organisations that deliver aged care services, there’s still work to be done.

Here are five key changes to be aware of, and how Docusign can help. 

1. Enhanced quality standards and provider obligations

The new Act strengthens the Quality Standards of the aged care sector. These standards, ranging from the quality of care and services to the physical aspects of the care environment, are designed to be more measurable, comprehensive and clear than previous versions. And the onus is on providers to comply with them. 

Docusign can be used to manage a wide range of documents relating to these Quality Standards. When it comes to care planning, for example, you could be dealing with care agreements, individual care plans, and consent forms for specific treatments or services. Docusign’s platform ensures a secure, auditable trail of all signatures and approvals, which is crucial for demonstrating compliance with quality standards.

2. Safeguards around decision-making and “Registered Supporters”

Under the new Act, older people are encouraged to make their own decisions. If they want or need help in making these decisions, they can appoint “Registered Supporters”. These people are usually family members, aka the Sandwich Generation, who are navigating these tricky processes for the first time.

Docusign can be used to formalise the designation of a registered supporter or advocate. The platform’s tamper-proof audit trail and advanced security features (like identity verification) provide a robust, legally sound method for obtaining and documenting consent from the older person and their supporter. 

3. Improved governance and transparency

The legislation places a greater focus on provider accountability and transparency, with clearer rules on how aged care providers operate and spend money. This all makes it more important than ever for providers to stay on top of things like legal contracts, HR documents, supplier agreements and financial agreements. 

Docusign automates and streamlines the end-to-end agreement process, giving providers a central location from which to manage their entire agreement portfolio. From here, they can track renewals, manage obligations and demonstrate sound governance practices to regulators.

4. Streamlining onboarding and administrative processes

A core goal of the Act is to make it easier for older people to access aged care services. It’s up to providers to smooth the path to accessing their services—which will not only create a better experience for older people and their supporters, but will also ease the burden on aged care staff. 

When it comes to onboarding, Docusign shines. Here are some examples of where it can help: 

• Patient intake forms: Using Docusign Web Forms, providers can transform paper-based intake forms into easy-to-use digital versions.

• Service agreements: Docusign allows for the rapid and secure signing of service agreements from any device. This is particularly helpful for families who may live in different locations or need to make decisions quickly.

• Pre-filling data: Docusign can integrate with existing systems like Salesforce, pre-filling forms with client data to reduce manual data entry and errors.

5. Legal and regulatory compliance

Behind the scenes, the new Act works within the framework of existing Australian laws, such as the Electronic Transactions Act 1999, which recognises the validity of electronic signatures.

Docusign’s products are built to comply with legal requirements for electronic signatures in Australia. The platform provides a detailed audit trail of who signed a document, when, and from where, which is a critical feature for demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements. This “tamper-proof” audit trail helps aged care providers meet the heightened standards of the new Act.

Are you ready for the roll-out?

In preparing your aged care organisation for the regulatory rigours of the new Act, you are essentially setting yourselves up for a digital-first future—which will pay in more ways than one. Solutions like Docusign will help you not only navigate the needs of the Act but the demands of running a business.

To learn more about how we can help, get in touch today.