24/7 nursing milestone attained in aged care homes

Key points:

• Registered nurses were on-site in aged care homes 98 percent of the time since the requirement took effect on July 1, 2023, according to newly released statistics

• 86 percent of residential aged care providers were already meeting the full 24/7 responsibility, with the remaining services very close to achieving it

• Providers and advocacy organisations have celebrated the new data and the impact on aged care

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, ANMF; the Council on the Ageing, COTA Australia; and Catholic Health Australia have celebrated newly released statistics which offered insight into the first month of active 24/7 registered nursing in aged care facilities.

Registered nurses were on-site in aged care homes 98 percent of the time — equivalent to an average of 23.5 hours of nursing care per day, as revealed in figures released August 10, 2023.

Annie Butler, federal secretary of ANMF, said the data demonstrated that the Government continued to deliver on its election commitment to fixing aged care by implementing one of the key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

“After just one month of the new nursing requirements being introduced, this really is a step in the right direction,” Ms Butler said.

“From our perspective, better staffing will not only result in improved care outcomes for residents, it will also help recruit and retain highly qualified aged care nurses.

“There is much more work to be done, but the fact that there has been a significant uptake of 24/7 nursing in just the first month shows how we can achieve improved care outcomes for residents when unions, providers and our other stakeholders work together with the Government to roll [out] these crucial reforms.”

COTA Australia Chief Executive Officer Patricia Sparrow said it is great to see the “ambitious targets” met to deliver improved access to registered nurses and welcomed the news.

“Having registered nurses in our aged care homes isn’t a ‘nice to have,’ [sic] — it’s crucial if we’re going to provide our older Australians with the quality care they need and deserve,” Ms Sparrow said.

“Every Australian deserves to know that everything possible is being done to ensure our loved ones living in aged care facilities are being treated with dignity and respect and core to that is making sure the professional care they need is available when they need it.

“As Australians live longer and healthier, we need to recognise that supporting and respecting people in their older age isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s beneficial for us all.

“There is more to be done, including the development of a new rights-based Aged Care Act and a new single Support at Home Program, but we need all reforms to continue to ensure older people have the services and support they need, no matter where they live.”

Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells shared that 95 percent of facilities had reported their first month of data regarding 24/7 nursing. Australians will now be able to track data on the level of 24/7 registered nursing being delivered across the residential aged care sector following a newly released dashboard on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

“This is what caring for some of our most vulnerable people looks like. I want to thank the nurses who voted with their feet and returned to aged care,” Minister Wells said.

“I’m incredibly proud that we can now see Australia’s older generations — our mums and dads, grandparents and loved ones who live in aged care homes — are receiving the high quality care and safety they deserve.

“I am not on this ambitious journey alone. I commend aged care workers and providers who have taken up this challenge, and are working with the Government to lift the standard of care.”

Catholic Health Australia’s Aged Care Director Jason Kara said the figures are a direct result of the Government’s singular focus on sector-wide reform since the election.

“Today’s extremely encouraging numbers on registered nurse coverage show that the Government commitments have been matched with appropriate action and funding. I applaud the ambition of the Aged Care Minister Anika Wells in driving this reform — often in the face of great scepticism,” Mr Kara said.

“Catholic health and aged care providers will continue to work in partnership with the Government to deliver real improvements to the standard of care for all Australians.”

In addition to the data on 24/7 nursing coverage, the Government revealed that the National Aged Care Quality Indicator Program — also known as the ‘QI program’ — report from January to March, 2023, showed there had been improvements in the quality of aged care for older Australians.

Let the team at Talking Aged Care know your thoughts on what the industry should target next to improve care outcomes for all.