Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australians should brace for some "bruising" information to come out of the royal commission into aged care.
Mr Morrison announced the royal commission on Sunday, following appalling cases of abuse of elderly people.
"I think we should brace ourselves for some pretty bruising information about the way our loved ones, some of them have experienced some real mistreatment," Mr Morrison told reporters on Sunday.
"I think that's going to be tough for us to deal with, but you can't walk past it."
The commission has received the backing of leading groups in the sector, but they noted that there had already been a range of reviews into the sector.
It comes as the number of Australians moving into residential care is set to rise sharply as the nation's population ages.
"We are committed to providing older Australians with access to care that supports their dignity and recognises the contribution that they have made to society," Mr Morrison said.
The decision was triggered in part by the Oakden nursing home scandal in South Australia.
The home was closed a year ago after it was revealed elderly patients with dementia had been abused for years.
Pat Sparrow the CEO of Aged and Community Services Australia has welcomed the inquiry. Source: Facebook @ACSAus
The prime minister said he could no longer ignore the alarming number of aged care operators "flouting the law and putting lives at risk".
There was an 177 per cent increase in the number of aged care homes where a serious risk to residents was identified in the last financial year, according to new government figures.
There was a 292 per cent increase in the number of facilities that refused to comply with rules.
Leading Age Care Services Australia, Aged and Community Services Australia and the Council on the Ageing said they welcomed the review.
But Leading Age Care Services Australia chief executive Sean Rooney said the royal commission must not get in the way of urgent changes.
"We must press on with addressing key workforce and funding issues, and not lose sight of making the system better right now," he said.
COTA chief executive Ian Yates has echoed that sentiment.
"While the commission does its work the Morrison government must continue to focus on implementing recommendations of a string of inquiries into the sector over recent years," he said.
Aged and Community Services Australia, which represents about 700 not-for-profit providers, said the royal commission is a chance to have a "broader conversation" on what the community wants from aged care.
Labor leader Bill Shorten, who has previously said there is a "national crisis" in aged care, said the probe was overdue.
