Staff shortages are driving Australia's largest regional aged care providers, Bupa Villages & Aged Care, to limit aged care admissions, particularly in regional areas, telling The SOURCE it could fill another 300 aged care beds if the staff were available.

"Unfortunately, those 300 people are in many regional hospitals at the moment waiting for an aged care bed," Andrew Kinkade, Managing Director, Bupa Villages & Aged Care, Australia, told The SOURCE.

Of Bupa's 58 homes across NSW, QLD, VIC, and SA, 24 are based in regional Australia. Regional homes have an occupancy rate of 87%. By contrast, metropolitan homes have occupancy of 97%.

"There are lots of elderly people in regional hospitals right now that need access to aged care," Andrew said.

"Some of our recent admissions have been in hospital for 200 days in regional Australia."

Innovative recruitment strategies

To address this workforce shortage, the organisation is investing in a number of strategies. Bupa has expanded its graduate recruitment program and has had 80 RN graduates join this year. It has formed a partnership with Victorian charity Women Can, training women from disadvantaged backgrounds who have previously had no experience working in aged care. In North Queensland, Bupa is training new workers from First Nation backgrounds. The provider has also formed partnerships with 50 training organisations to ensure staff have opportunities for development.

Like many other providers, Bupa is recruiting staff from overseas and has repurposed 30 aged care rooms to accommodate staff from overseas. Staff living in the accommodation work in the home as well as others in the local area.

In a first of its kind, Bupa is also offering free health insurance for full time regional aged care workers - a move that has been "well received" in regional communities, Andrew said.