The quality of residential aged care services (nursing homes) featured in the news again in 2017. Failures of care identified at the Oakden Older Persons Mental Health Service in Adelaide led the Australian Government to commission an independent review of aged care quality regulation known as the Carnell review.

Against this background, the Government has announced two changes to quality and compliance visits made to nursing homes by assessors from the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (the Quality Agency). The first change is a result of a 2015–16 Budget measure to expand cost recovery arrangements for the Quality Agency, and the second is a direct response to a recommendation of the Carnell review.