Care improves as care homes employ 24/7 registered nurses

The 24/7 registered nurse rule came in on July 1 after being a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

"We introduced the 24/7 nursing requirement because older Australians deserve around-the-clock clinical care and this data reveals they are now, on average, receiving that care 98 per cent of the time, or 23.5 hours a day," said Aged Care Minister Anika Wells.

"This is what caring for some of our most vulnerable people looks like. I want to thank the nurses who voted with their feet and returned to aged care."

Ms Wells said 95 per cent of facilities had reported their first month of data regarding 24/7 nursing.

The data also shows 86 per cent of facilities now have a nurse on site 24/7 and the majority of the remaining homes are very close to around-the-clock coverage.

A new 24/7 registered nursing dashboard on the Department of Health and Aged Care website provides data on the level of 24/7 registered nursing being delivered across the residential aged care sector.

Ms Wells said 24/7 registered nursing is not just a pass or fail.

"Data from across our aged care reforms continues to demonstrate a positive trajectory that we are confident will lift the standard of care in the aged care system even further with the introduction of mandatory care minutes targets on October 1," she said.

Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia chief executive Patricia Sparrow welcomed the news.

"Having registered nurses in our aged care homes isn't a nice to have, it's crucial if we're going to provide our older Australians with the quality care they need and deserve," Ms Sparrow said.

"Every Australian deserves to know that everything possible is being done to ensure our loved ones living in aged care facilities are being treated with dignity and respect, and core to that is making sure the professional care they need is available when they need it.

"As Australians live longer and healthier, we need to recognise that supporting and respecting people in their older age isn't just the right thing to do, it's beneficial for us all."

Older Persons Advocacy Network chief executive Craig Gear described around-the-clock nursing as "key to safe, high quality aged care, including safe, high quality dementia care, which older people and their families have been demanding".

"We know health-related incidents can occur at any time of the day or night. Round-the-clock nursing also also crucial in the delivery of timely and appropriate palliative care," he said.

Mr Gear noted that a small number of providers had been granted exemptions because they were struggling to achieve the required staffing levels.

"We acknowledge that rural, regional and remote aged care homes face additional challenges, but the timeline for these exemptions must be clearly defined and regularly reviewed," he said.

Industry body the Aged and Community Care Providers Association said it would continue to work with the government to support providers which haven't met requirements.

Chief executive Tom Symondson said the organisation would also identify how it can support these providers and ensure there are tailored solutions and options.

"This is particularly crucial in rural and remote Australia where shortages are at their worst," he said.