The latest data from the Department of Health and Aged Care for July 2024 shows 76 homes (of a total 248), or 30.6%, in small rural towns (Modified Monash Model 5) have failed to meet the 24/7 RN requirement.
Aged care homes in MMM6 (remote communities) and MMM7 (very remote communities) achieved higher rates of compliance with the 24/7 RN requirement, however, the numbers of facilities in those regions are small (19 in MMM6 and 6 in MMM7).
As of 1 July 2024, 23 homes had exemptions to the 24/7 RN requirement, which is available for homes with no more than 30 beds in MMM 5, 6 or 7.
In May, David Reece, CEO of Not For Profit Victorian aged care provider AdventCare, told the Weekly SOURCE it is spending up to $50,000 per month on agency staff to meet mandated requirements at his home in Warburton, 75km east of Melbourne. AdventCare will not meet the conditions for the reduced rate supplement because it operates 42 beds.
A reduced rate 24/7 RN supplement is available for homes with no more than 30 residents that achieve RN coverage at least 50% of the time without an exemption in place. Exemptions exclude the provider from receiving the 24/7 RN supplement.
In June, Senate Estimates heard the aged care sector is estimated to be short 4,043 RNs for the 2024-25 financial year.
You can view the data here.
