Minister Wells calls out “disappointing” provider care minute results
Published on 3 October 2024
The Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, has expressed her disappointment towards aged care providers that haven’t achieved their care minute targets.
Minister Wells penned an open letter to the sector, highlighting that the Department’s latest data reveals that compliance with care minutes is “disproportionately low in metropolitan areas” and that for-profit providers are lagging behind their not-for-profit counterparts.
“This is disappointing given the Government’s record investment of over $15.1 billion to lift wages in aged care, consistent with the Fair Work Commission Work Value Case, to ensure aged care providers are able to employ sufficient care workers,” Minister Wells said.
Care minutes snapshot
- The latest care minutes dashboard (April-June 2024) reveals the sector delivered 207.71 care minutes per person per day, surpassing its 204.98 minutes target
- While both for-profit and not-for-profit (NFP) averages exceeded the mandatory 200 care minutes threshold, the NFP average was seven minutes greater than for-profits
- Just over 40% of service providers met their total care minutes and registered nurse minutes
- Per location, providers in small rural towns (56%) and remote communities (58%) had the highest success rates when meeting both targets while providers in metropolitan areas (38%) and large rural towns (30%) struggled (100% of providers in very remote communities met both care minute targets, although this data comes from only six service providers)
- Almost one-quarter of facilities are still more than 10 minutes away from reaching their care minute targets
The Minister’s letter comes just as the mandatory care minutes responsibility progresses to the next stage: a sector-wide average target of 215 total care minutes per resident per day, including 44 registered nurse minutes (with 10% allowed to be delivered by an enrolled nurse).
“This measure is a once in a lifetime change to shape and improve the overall quality and safety of care of older people living in residential aged care. Therefore, it’s imperative that as an approved provider of residential aged care, you do all you can to ensure that you have the right mix of staff to deliver your required care minutes,” she continued.
“I know many of you have made significant efforts to increase your staffing levels and am pleased that sector average care minutes have increased to 207.7 minutes per resident per day, including 41.4 registered nurse minutes, in the June quarter of 2024. However, reporting also shows a significant proportion of homes are not meeting their individual targets.”
Long-term comparisons show that total care minutes being delivered have increased by 11.3% and total RN minutes by 23.1% since September 2022. However, just under two-thirds of the sector still struggles to meet both targets.
Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) CEO, Craig Gear OAM, said the failure of providers to meet mandated care minute targets is deeply troubling.
“It’s been a year since the mandatory target of 200 minutes of direct care per day per aged care resident came into effect. These care minutes should be seen as the bare minimum. They make a significant difference to the lives of older people living in residential aged care,” Mr Gear said.
“We are aware that providers in regional and remote areas are grappling with workforce challenges, but the data shows compliance is disproportionately low in metropolitan areas. Compliance rates of aged care homes run by for-profit for providers are also much lower than those for not-for-profit providers.
“There needs to be transparency around where the money is going. And there has been a long-held concern on the part of older people and their families that investment in aged care is going to some providers’ bottom line rather than to care.”
Mr Gear urged the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to take action when providers aren’t making genuine efforts to meet their care minute targets, something which Minister Wells expects the Commission to do.
“I support the Commission to use its full range of regulatory powers to enforce compliance with care minutes if aged care homes are not making genuine attempts to increase their staffing levels, which could lead to resident harm and safety,” she added.
Health Services Union National Secretary Lloyd Williams also urged providers to not shy away from their responsibilities.
“Providers need accountability. We cannot allow profit motives to compromise the quality of care for our elderly citizens,” he said.
With funding from this October to be roughly 58% greater than it was in September 2022, the Department will be looking at new ways to ensure providers are spending increased funding on direct care.
“I have asked my department to develop options to boost care minutes compliance for the Government’s consideration. This includes exploring funding options to improve care minute delivery, while also ensuring this does not add financial pressure to aged care homes operating in thin markets with genuine workforce challenges,” Minister Wells said.