Clinton Maynard is joined by Senator Anne Ruston, Liberal Senator for SA & Shadow Minister for Health & Aged Care, following reports that seven out of ten Australian aged care facilities struggle to recruit and retain sufficient registered nurses to fulfill the Government’s ambitious targets. This has led some facilities to close or downsize.  

Exclusive research reveals that one in five surveyed facilities finds it ‘impossible to achieve’ the goal of providing 200 care minutes per resident per day, with 40 minutes requiring a registered nurse.

According to Senator Ruston, over the past year, 40 aged care homes have closed, resulting in a reduction of 325 aged care beds in the last four months. 

Despite increasing waiting lists, there is a current shortage of 5122 registered nurses in the aged care sector to meet the government’s mandated requirements for 24/7 registered nurses and care minutes in 2023-24 alone.

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