Speaking ahead of the Royal Commission handing down its recommendations into the aged care sector, Ms Allanson said the report would be a "lost generational opportunity" if it didn't prompt the community to hold the government to account to fund the sector more sustainably.

The sector had pooled efforts to start a campaign to say, "it's time to care about aged care".

"We're concerned the government may tinker around the edges of the recommendations and just opt for more compliance without committing real funds to a failing system," she said.

"The concern is that, along with the other 20 or more reports over the last 20 years, that this too may be ignored.

"We want to be held to account, we want to be compliant. But when there is not enough money in the bucket to even do the basics, it's very hard to meet all the compliance requirements. People seem to think if we keep adding more compliance it will fix it. It hasn't fixed it."

Ms Allanson said they were being asked to do more with less, and 64 per cent of the sector was "in the red".

They were funded by "fumes" yet expected to run a "hospital-level service on a cruise ship".

"The figures are deteriorating and the financials of aged care are failing," she said. "In the last 12 or so years, funding has gone up 18 per cent, but wages have gone up 38 per cent. Then we wonder why the systems break down and fail and providers can't ensure the robust supervision and support and highly trained staff."

They didn't have the funds to employ more registered nurses, but attracting a highly trained workforce was challenging given they are paid "significantly less" than colleagues in the acute sector.

"If they come into aged care they know they are going to be working incredibly hard, with an incredibly heavy burden of responsibility for a whole lot of people."

She said other nations spent 2.5 per cent of [Gross Domestic Product] on older people in care. In Australia, it is 1.2 per cent.

"We are behind the eight ball, and yet everyone keeps saying, 'Look at those wicked providers and the terrible job they are doing'.

"Aged care should be robust and safe, lively and appealing to give them the most positive experience we can in their latter years so they can live out their days long and strong.

"This is the time, for our society as a whole, to urge our politicians to care about aged care. It is time."

Ms Allanson said if aged care doesn't get the funding it needs, we would see more failures in aged care.

"We are going to see more very sad and unhappy people in care and their families, it will be a national disgrace."

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