INADEQUATE staffing of aged care facilities mean employees are rushed and overworked, a royal commission has been told.
More than half of the 6630 submissions received so far by the aged care royal commission have raised concerns about workforce-related issues.
The commission's Melbourne hearing will on Wednesday focus on the challenges of improving wages and conditions for the aged care workforce.
It will hear from a panel of representatives from unions and industry peak bodies.
Senior counsel assisting the commission Peter Rozen QC said aged care workers often experience excessive work demands and time pressure to deliver care.
Witnesses have already told the inquiry about the impact of inadequate staff numbers on aged care residents.
"Basic standards are often not met," Mr Rozen said in his opening statement on Monday.
"Inadequate staffing levels mean that staff are overworked, rushed and generally under pressure.
"This impacts on their ability to provide high quality care and on the workers' own health and safety."
Mr Rozen said a number of royal commission witnesses have argued for the introduction of mandated staffing levels and skill mix to guarantee a minimum level of care.
Others have raised concerns that mandated staffing levels will not guarantee quality, he said.
Victorian Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kym Peake will give evidence on Wednesday about the state's legislated mandatory staffing ratios in its public sector aged care services.
Australia has about 366,000 aged care workers, although there has been a decline in the proportion of nurses and a corresponding increase in personal care attendants.
Research commissioned by the inquiry found more than half of all Australian aged care residents are in homes that have unacceptable levels of staffing.
Two unions this week said the workforce was straining under the pressure of crushing workloads, increasingly complex care needs and chronic under-staffing.
Australian Associated Press
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