In the 2024-25 year, we continued to adapt to the challenges and changes in the sectors we operate in.
On 1 July 2024, Silverchain Group acquired KinCare, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of Silverchain Group’s aged care services. The acquisition included KinCare Health Services Pty Ltd and KinCare Management Pty Ltd, with 1,300 employees providing care and services to more than 11,500 Home Care Package (HCP) or Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) clients.
With this acquisition, Silverchain Group became the third largest in home aged care provider in Australia. KinCare was rebranded to Silverchain on 1 July 2025.
Silverchain has long advocated for the ability of in home care to alleviate the pressure on the health system, however the link between the lack of appropriate care options for older Australians is often ill considered. Home care that is truly hospital substitution can be a significant part of the response to the demands on the health and aged care systems.
The new Aged Care Act goes some way towards recognising ‘home’ as many people’s preferred place to age, and that the future of care is in the home. Silverchain continues to advocate with governments and policy makers that many of the challenges in our health care system could be addressed through better coordination and funding for in home aged care.
In 2024-25, together with Ageing Australia, and other aged providers, Silverchain advocated for a commonsense approach to the Australian Government’s once in a generation aged care reforms.
On 4 June 2025, following advice from the aged care sector and consumer advocates, the Australian Government delayed the implementation of the new Aged Care Act, Support at Home and the new strengthened Aged Care and Quality Standards. These reforms were deferred to 1 November 2025. Silverchain welcomed this approach, which provided more time for the Government to finalise details that were crucial for aged care clients.
To relieve pressure on both the primary and tertiary health care systems, Silverchain believes aged care must be adequately funded and appropriately designed to ensure ageing at home is supported including providing health care at home for older Australians. The reform process is not finished. A robust community care system can reduce admissions to hospitals; the evidence is clear. Long standing structural bias towards supporting acute care as a political priority has left design, delivery and funding for innovative home care solutions on the back burner.
With the silver tsunami upon us, the Australian Government must repriortise healthy ageing and chronic care management in the home and require the States to do so as well.
High quality care in the home can be a reality for many more people across Australia, with long term success in many overseas nations where the funding priority isn’t always a new hospital ward. Australia is behind other nations in home care however with leadership, policy and funding shifts, we can lead the way.