New workers entering the aged care industry must have a police check from today.

The changes are being made as part of a crackdown on abuse in aged care homes.

The Federal Parliament is also considering other changes, and a Senate inquiry will be held today on the issue in Canberra.

Unions are worried that some aged care providers will make their employees pay for the cost of a police check, and Labor's Jan McLucas says it needs to be clarified.

"There should have been a far more active involvement by the Government in the discussion around who should pay," she said.

"$40 for some aged care workers working short hours per week is a lot of money."

Federal Ageing Minister Santo Santoro says it is not a lot of money and it is worth spending.

"It's a very minor cost, it's $45 for a three-year police check, which comes down to a very small amount over an annual basis," he said.

"I think that if people do want to work with elderly and frail Australians, they do want to be working in aged care facilities, it's only reasonable they subject themselves to a police check."

Senator Santoro says the industry should contribute to the cost of security reforms.

"The Government has already made a $100 million commitment to the security reform package, which includes compulsory reporting of abuse, an aged care commissioner, a new complaints scheme," he said.

"We have funded it with real money, $100 million worth of reforms.

"We feel the industry can make a contribution to that sense of security for our elderly and frail Australians.