Aged care staff have been increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to assist with progress notes and clinical documentation, as services face growing workloads, staff shortages and time pressures. AI tools can offer clear benefits in terms of speed, efficiency and administrative relief.
However, their use in clinical and care settings is not without risk. Concerns are emerging around privacy, legal compliance and documentation accuracy. This is particularly when sensitive resident information is entered into AI systems without clear safeguards.
So what are the risks?
Privacy & Legal
Entering identifiable patient records into AI systems can create a serious risk of data breaches. In some cases, information may be stored overseas or used to train AI models. This may breach rules around the cross-border disclosure of personal information.
Over the past year, multiple aged care providers have been scrutinised by the Department of Health and Aged Care. This came sfter staff entered sensitive resident information into AI tools, triggering breaches of the Privacy Act.
Under the Australian Privacy Principles, health information is classified as sensitive information and is subject to a higher standard of protection. This includes strict requirements around consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
Documentation errors
Using AI to generate or assist with documentation can also carry serious risks. AI tools may misinterpret clinical language. They may also select inappropriate terminology or generate wording that does not accurately reflect what occurred.
As a result, documentation may imply actions, observations or outcomes that never occurred, or misrepresent the care that was actually provided. This can have significant compliance and legal consequences.
For example, if a provider is subject to investigation or legal action over the quality of care, inaccurate or inconsistent documentation can be used as evidence. This may place the organisation and individual practitioners at risk.
Lack of awareness
Compounding these issues is a lack of awareness about the risks associated with the improper use of AI in aged care settings. In many cases, staff may not fully understand how AI tools handle data or the legal and clinical implications of using them for documentation.
Importantly, responsibility does not rest solely with frontline workers. Managers and executives may also be held individually liable, alongside the aged care nurse or practitioner who uses the AI tool, particularly where appropriate policies, training or oversight are lacking.
What can be done?
Experts acknowledge that, when used appropriately, AI can be beneficial for aged care staff who are managing increasing regulatory and documentation demands. However, clear safeguards are essential to ensure these tools are used safely, responsibly and in line with legal and clinical obligations.
One option is to prohibit the entry of identifiable resident data into public or consumer AI tools. Another is to require explicit and documented consent where AI is used in care-related documentation.
Staff should also be trained to critically review AI-generated content, rather than relying on it unquestioningly. This will ensure records remain accurate, compliant and reflective of the care actually provided.
AI has become increasingly embedded in day-to-day aged care practice. As a result, the issue is no longer about avoiding its use, but about ensuring it is used responsibly and in line with privacy, legal and clinical obligations.
For aged care workers, this shift is also changing what employers look for. Greater emphasis is now placed on digital awareness, compliance knowledge and sound professional judgement. Being able to demonstrate these capabilities clearly in a job application is becoming more important than ever.
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Article References
Neeland, J (13 January 2026) ‘AI use for progress notes is causing serious privacy and clinical risks in aged care’, Hellocare, accessed 5 February 2026.