industry & reform
Anthony Albanese said the overwhelming majority of aged care homes already met the new 24 / 7 nursing mandate . Picture : NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman .
‘ Ambitious ’
PM defends nursing mandate as more homes close
By NCA NewsWire and Elise Hartevelt
Australia ’ s Prime Minister has stood firm on his ‘ ambitious ’ approach to aged care after a Perth-based provider announced it will shut three of its 12 residential homes by 2024 .
Brightwater Care Group told ABC it faced severe financial and staffing pressures ahead of the new national standards around 24 / 7 onsite nurses .
From July 2023 , all aged care homes will need to have a registered nurse present at all times .
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government ’ s ‘ ambitious ’ staffing requirements were necessary to improve aged care following the Royal Commission ’ s recommendations .
“ The fact that 90 per cent have met the ( staffing ) requirements already shows that we make no apologies for being ambitious in this area ,” Mr Albanese said .
“ But we ’ re also being very practical about the way that these issues are dealt with .”
Federal data estimated that 80 per cent of facilities already met the 24 / 7 nursing requirements , and ‘ nine per cent were very close .’
Yet , increasingly more providers are announcing home closures as staffing pressures rise ahead of the July deadline .
Brightwater said it would close three of its smallest and older residential aged care facilities over the coming 12 months .
Brightwater chief , Catherine Stoddart , said the age and size of the facilities and the increasing care needs of its residents played a significant role in the decision .
“ Modelling of our rosters to meet the new minimum staffing requirements showed that our smallest facilities would not be best placed to deliver the quality of care in a financially sustainable way ,” Mrs Stoddart said .
“ On behalf of all families and residents who call Brightwater home , we have a responsibility to ensure the long-term delivery of high quality care and ensure the sustainability our business .”
Roughly 75 residents living across the three facilities in Joondalup , Huntingdale and South Lake will need to relocate .
Over 160 staff will also be offered new positions in Brightwater ’ s other aged care facilities .
Earlier this year , Brightwater opened a new 128-bed facility at Inglewood where some of the staff and residents are expected to relocate to .
“ We ’ re committed to ensuring the safety and care of our residents and to the long-term sustainability of our aged care facilities ,” Mrs Stoddart said .
“ Decisions like this are not easy , however , it is critical for the ongoing delivery of our business .”
The government reiterated that providers failing to meet the new mandates by July would not need to close their doors
“ Decisions like this are not easy .
and that it ‘ would work closely with them to get the support they need .’
Earlier this year , Victoria-based aged care provider VincentCare withdrew from Home Care Packages , citing difficulties meeting new government requirements .
Sydney-based aged care provider Wesley Mission announced last week it would close its remaining three residential homes due to staffing challenges . The move is expected to impact 200 residents and 2,000 staff . Aged care minister Anika Wells took to social media to defend the government ’ s decision to mandate staffing levels .
“ I will not apologise for being ambitious to improve the quality of aged care ,” Wells wrote on Twitter .
“ Providers making genuine efforts to follow the rules and keep their residents safe should not be concerned .”
The Albanese government conceded in March the nursing deadline would be unachievable given widespread staffing shortages .
It said that facilities unable to meet the 2 / 47 nursing requirements , such as those in regional areas with less than 30 beds , would be exempt from the mandate .
Shadow aged care minister Anne Ruston said the government was ‘ blatantly ignoring ’ workforce shortages .
“ Labor has broken its headline election promise to older Australians , and aged care homes are now closing under his watch ,” Mrs Ruston said . ■
10 agedcareinsite . com . au