With only two months to go before residential aged care facilities are required to have a Registered Nurse (RN) on site 24/7, the Government has quietly commissioned the University of Wollongong on the NSW South Coast to develop “alternative arrangements” for when RNs are unavailable.
The University has been engaged for six months from 10 March 2023 to review the research literature and create a model of care for the times that RNs are unavailable, as facilities struggle to find enough qualified staff to meet the incoming requirement, The Australian newspaper is reporting.
Labor went to the 2022 Federal Election promising to ensure all aged care facilities had an RN on site at all times by 1 July, a year earlier than the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended.
The review will be led by Robert Gordon, who helped to design the AN-ACC funding model, which came in on 1 October last year.
Providers have had months to prepare for the 24/7 RN rule, but a shortage of appropriately qualified staff has made it impossible in some cases, particularly in the regions.
In the last few weeks, providers have announced the closure of six homes, in part due to not being able to find enough staff to meet the new requirement. We also report today that providers are leaving beds empty due to staff shortages.
“Being ambitious for aged care means always searching for the best model that will improve the lives of older Australians,” Aged Care Minister Anika Wells told The Australian.
“We are not sitting still, rather we are consulting with experts to help achieve best practice and repair the workforce shortages left by nine years of neglect.
“The Albanese government remains committed to 24/7 nursing to help aged care residents receive high-quality care at all times.”
