From October 2023, aged care facilities in Australia will be required to provide a minimum of 200 minutes of care time per resident per day, including 40 minutes from registered nurses. The reforms come as part of the Australian Government’s commitment to improving the quality of aged care services in Australia. It is hoped that these changes will significantly improve the quality and consistency of care across all residential aged care facilities.
The new rules will bring much-needed relief to residents and their families after years of inadequate staffing levels and substandard service delivery. Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck has said that “this is an important milestone in our journey towards a better system for delivering high-quality, safe and compassionate aged care services”.
Although details are yet to be finalized, but it is expected that Aged Care will be seeing a major change in October 2024 with the government passing a mandatory care time of 215 minutes per resident, per day. This includes 44 minutes of registered nurse (RN) care. This is an increase from the 2020 standard that set out a minimum of 120 minutes per day and 18 RN minutes – although many aged care providers are already providing more than this amount of time.
This significant move comes as part of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s recommendation to provide safe, high quality and respectful care for older Australians. The aim is to ensure all nursing home residents receive adequate daily care that meets their individual needs and preferences. It also aims to reduce pressure on existing staff by providing them with more appropriate staffing levels from October 2024 onwards.
This means more staff needs, that’s where carerz can help, Contact Carerz today, to discuss how we can help you with your staffing needs. We will provide you with exceptionally trained, qualified, healthcare professionals throughout your services.
New quarterly reporting of direct care time and costs begins for the July-September period as part of the new Quarterly Financial report (QFR). Reporting will occur at a facility level. This reporting will allow the Department of Health and Ageing and the Commission to assess whether providers are meeting their care minute requirements. For more information, see the here.
