'How did Australian aged care reach its current nadir? Countless inquiries and reviews have probed this question; postmortem after postmortem has dissected the policy and regulatory failures that have wrought the present abysmal state of affairs; a surfeit of recommendations have been handed down; revised guidelines and principles adopted; advisory committees formed; stakeholders consulted - yet here we are, a prosperous nation with one of the worst aged-care systems in the developed world. And in spite of the scorching spotlight of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety -the final findings of which are due in November 2020 - there is seemingly little political will or vision for change, and no clear road map ahead.' (Introduction)