Residents dying as aged care homes face joint COVID and flu crisis

A winter surge of the virus has seen more than 1000 outbreaks of the Omicron variant nationwide affecting 6000 residents and 3400 staff.

Some 2301 aged care residents have died from COVID in 2022, with 114 residents dying in the past week alone.

Many aged care facilities are also facing an influenza crisis.

Existing surge workforce, provided by commercial suppliers, will remain in place until December 31.

The ADF has provided clinical and non-clinical help to aged care homes hit by COVID-19 related staffing shortages since February this year and its support was due to end on August 12.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Force Minister Richard Marles said the decision to keep the ADF in nursing homes reflected the seriousness of the Omicron variant's high community transmission rates.

A joint statement with Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said the assistance would mean continued relief for aged care staff at a time of ongoing high workloads, stress, fatigue and a growing number of forced absences due to COVID-19 infection.

"We need to protect our most vulnerable during this winter wave," the statement said.

"Support from the ADF until September 30 will help buttress the workforce crisis we have seen in the past."

The Aged and Community Care Providers Association has called for urgent action to protect residents, staff and the broader community as up to 15 per cent of the aged care workforce is in isolation or quarantine.

Its interim chief executive Paul Sadler said the Winter Omicron wave was ratcheting up the pressure on the aged care sector. "The coming weeks are critical," he said.

"One of the great concerns about this latest COVID wave is the major impact on the availability of aged care staff, with thousands already infected. Aged care services are telling us they have 10-15 per cent of their staff isolating or absent due to illness at the moment.

"The next weeks of July and all of August are expected to be high-risk periods for aged care and Covid. ACCPA is concerned that anywhere up to two-thirds of aged care homes could be affected by active outbreaks over coming weeks."

Mr Sadler said the increased availability in surge workforce including the Australian Defence Force was welcome, but there was still a shortfall.

"The reality is we can't leave older people without adequate levels of care for too long."

The Older Person's Advocacy Network also welcomed the ADF's continued assistance saying it would ease workforce pressures and provide additional support to people living in residential care.

OPAN: opan.org.au 1800-700-600.