In response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, the federal government is mandating from October 2023 that residents in aged care facilities are to receive a minimum of 200 minutes of care per day. Of those 200 minutes, 40 minutes must come directly from a registered nurse (who is rostered for 16 hours per day).
The mandatory care time standards came into place from July 2022 and has resulted in aged care providers investigating their options when it comes to calculating, monitoring and reporting on the care provided, to meet the requirements.
Why should it matter to you?
In a survey conducted and sourced from 50% of all aged care facilities in Australia, the recorded average daily care minutes being delivered by organisations stands at 175.8 minutes. This is in comparison to the 200 daily care minutes which is expected by October 2023.
‘Of all homes, 16% were delivering more than 200 minutes of care per resident per day and 84% were delivering less’
In relation to the 40 minutes of registered nurse care required, it was found that 89% were not meeting the target.
What’s included in the 200 minutes?
‘Guidance indicates it will include registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal care assistants, but it does not include allied health, lifestyle or pastoral care.’
There may however, be some exemptions. For example, facilities that support homeless older people may be able to claim social care workers in the 200 minutes of care.
It’s expected that should a facility provide more than the required 200 minutes of care (including 40 minutes of registered nurse care) per day, it will have a positive impact on the aged care Star Ratings.
Remaining safe. Staying compliant.
In an ideal world, aged care organisations would have the exact number of care workers and registered nurses for the needs of their residents. Yet in reality, many organisations use static and manual scheduling with little visibility on the care level and time provided.
The outcome? Understaffing, clinical risk and a poor experience for both the worker and resident.
By transitioning to a digital workforce management solution, organisations can safely and easily track and comply to the mandatory care time standards whilst reducing understaffing and getting a grip on workforce costs.
To find out how Allocate SafeCare can support your organisation and your staff, click here.
