There aren’t enough aged care workers, so a “virtual” solution is being trialled. Is this how you want to be cared for?

Age care home providers are struggling to comply with the Federal Government’s requirement to have a registered nurse onsite 99% of the time and provide 24/7 nursing.

A major barrier is the lack of trained professional staff. That’s why National Seniors Australian (NSA) is calling on the government to offer sensible incentives to attract and retain aged care staff. More on that later.

Meanwhile, the aged care sector and the government have turned to “virtual nursing” as a possible solution to a shortage of registered nurses.

In a trial that could pave the way for aged care nationally, virtual nursing will be employed in 30 residential aged care homes, mainly in rural and remote communities, to assess how it can supplement existing aged care practices.

The initiative aims to deliver 24-hour registered nursing coverage through telehealth or video conferencing to facilities that are experiencing workforce shortages.

The project is expected to run until 30 June 2027.

Aged Care Minister, Anika Wells, says it is not a replacement for face-to-face care but aims to find out how virtual care services can enhance the provision of care, “providing residential aged care homes and on-site staff with access to additional clinical expertise to support the delivery of high-quality care to older people”.

Ms Wells says the trail arises from the government’s Professional FrameWork, which aims to encourage innovation in aged care to address not having enough qualified workers.

La Trobe University will assess the project and its clinical outcomes in the areas of workforce sustainability and service delivery. The findings will inform future decisions on integrating virtual nursing into aged care.

How to build the best aged care workforce

NSA believes policies to boost the aged care workforce must include providing existing older care workers with incentives to stay and enter the workforce.

Currently, care workers who are nearing retirement are leaving the sector with little intention of staying, returning, or working part time. That’s because they correctly perceive that Age Pension income rules would punish them for working more than a limited number of hours.

We need to retain older workers throughout the economy, but especially in the care sector, to meet desperate workforce shortages.

Employment income should be exempt from the income test for all pensioners, especially those working in the care economy (aged, disability, and childcare).