The Australian Labor Party said the recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety's final report has shown that "the aged care system is in crisis".
The final report and its 148 recommendations was made public on Monday after a two-year inquiry which heard countless tales of abuse and neglect.
Labor Leader Anthony Albanese said the coalition government has neglected older Australians, aged care residents and workers for years - "it's a national disgrace".
"Labor will take time to digest and work our way through the recommendations of the Royal Commission," he said.
"Scott Morrison is responsible for the aged care system.
"He is responsible for the $1.7 billion in federal funding cuts and the terrible systemic neglect identified by the Royal Commissioners.
"Aged care workers want to provide quality care for their residents, but they are exhausted, undervalued and stretched to their limit and as we saw during the pandemic, they lack the resources they need to take care of vulnerable older Australians."
The report found that 30 per cent of aged care residents had experienced substandard care due to "fundamental systemic flaws" in the system and laws governing the sector.
It also found that up to 18 per cent of aged residents had been physically or sexually assaulted.
The commission also revealed that more than two-thirds of those in residential care were either malnourished or at risk of being malnourished.
Macarthur MP Dr Mike Freelander said the final report, which made no less than 148 recommendations, highlighted the need to create a "new aged care system".
"The state of aged care is a national disgrace," said the Member for Macarthur.
"The coalition government has neglected older Australians, aged care residents and their workers for years.
"This report is a terrible indictment upon Scott Morrison's leadership in this sector.
"It is clear that three things need to happen. Firstly, an independent regulator is desperately needed; the government's regulators have failed abysmally to improve the quality of care afforded to older Australians.
"Secondly, we need to urgently increase staffing in the aged care sector, and thirdly we need to improve the training available to staff."
Barton MP Linda Burney agreed with Dr Freelander's sentiments.
"This Royal Commission has laid bare the national disgrace of the Morrison Government's $1.7 billion in cuts to aged care and the neglect of our older Australians," she said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged an initial $452 million to bolster the sector, with more funding flagged in the May federal budget.
Mr Morrison said the values, rights and needs of older Australians need to be at the centre of aged care.
He said the findings provided the government with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul the system.
"It will test my government, the budget and test the parliament," he told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
"It will test the way in which we are prepared to deal with this issue."
HammondCare, which has aged care facilities across south west Sydney and the Sutherland Shire, welcomed the final report.
Hammondcare chair Mike Baird said he looked forward to working with all relevant stakeholders ahead of the government's detailed response in the May Budget.
"The report makes it clear Australia must do better in providing support for our older Australians," Mr Baird said.
"Community expectations are for an improved aged care system delivering a better quality of care for older people."
Mr Baird said frontline aged care workers deserve to be paid comparable with health and disability workers.
"They must also be adequately trained and valued," he said.
"We need to streamline the assessment process, reduce inefficiencies and get people into care sooner.
"We also support a star-rating system to shine a light on providers and help guide consumers as they decide on the appropriate level of care and services."
Mr Baird said financial sustainability for the sector was paramount.
He said residential providers lose, on average, $10 a day for each resident, and given expectations of increased care, this shortfall could get worse.
"The recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission will require significant additional funding in coming years, but at the same time, the aged care sector can do better and consumers need to acknowledge they too can play a part," Mr Baird said.
"Whilst there is a role for government, there is also a role to be played by consumers who have a capacity to pay, to be willing to contribute to their care needs."
