Australia’s revised Aged Care Quality Standards are scheduled to become effective on 1 July 2024. These standards will impose new obligations on providers and care workers.
Part of the new standards on the aged care reform roadmap is the new care minute requirement. Under this, from the start of October, Residential Aged Care providers must meet targets set at a sector average of 215 care minutes per resident per day, including 44 minutes of registered nurse time. This is an increase from 200 minutes per resident per day, which came into effect in 2023. The term ‘average’ is important to note because each residential aged care facility will have its own care minute target reflecting the case mix and needs of residents within the facility.
According to the Australian Health Department Activities included in these minutes include treatments and procedures, nursing care, social activities and emotional support. Allied health and lifestyle services are excluded from care minutes reporting. To help facilities meet the requirements, some AN-ACC funding supplements are available to support the provision of increased direct care minutes.
National staff shortages will be ongoing
While the reforms aim to improve the care of senior Australians, the challenge will be fulfilling staffing requirements, particularly when the aged care industry is already lacking in skilled workers. As recent reports have noted, Australia is facing a shortage of at least 110,000 direct aged-care workers within the next decade unless urgent action is taken to boost the workforce.
Every provider wants to offer the right level of clinical and personal care to the residents in their facility. However, the risk caused by increased care requirements is a situation where organisations ‘panic source’ workers so they can meet minimum standards. Filling roles simply to tick boxes can backfire if workers lack experience or aren’t a good fit for the organisation.
| “Australia is facing a shortage of at least 110,000 direct aged-care workers within the next decade unless urgent action is taken to boost the workforce.” – Committee for Economic Development of Australia |
A measured and strategic approach makes more sense
Aged care facilities feeling the looming pressure to meet average care minute requirements need to act early, by reviewing current care minute levels and taking steps to ensure they have sufficient headcount before the October change. As part of this process, it’s also important to be strategic about sourcing skilled carers.
Many providers are finding the local talent pool is inadequate because of the volume of providers looking to hire at the moment. Fortunately, drawing from a worldwide selection of skilled workers is an option.
Broader sourcing potential
Aged care facilities that connect with an immigration specialist before the new financial year will find it easier to find, hire and integrate workers from overseas in time to meet the new care minute requirements. This strategy will also provide the benefits of carers being able to cater to an increasingly diverse client base, many of whom don’t speak English or find themselves regressing to rely on their native language as their cognitive abilities decline.
Preparation is essential as aged care requirements change in Australia. By creating a comprehensive strategy to find and onboard new staff, your organisation will be able to adapt to the new care minute requirements.
| “We will need at least 17,000 more direct aged-care workers each year in the next decade just to meet basic standards of care.” – CEDA Chief Economist Jarrod Ball |