The closure of two regional Aged Care facilities is further proof the Federal Labor Government’s ham-fisted staffing changes are hurting the sector, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Dr Anne Webster says.

Mount Morgan’s Carinity Summit Cottages and Petrie Gardens Aged Care Service in Tiaro announced this week they will shut their facilities – displacing 33 elderly residents from their homes.

“Both of these regional Queensland facilities cited difficulties meeting Labor’s new 24/7 Registered Nurse requirements as a reason behind their closure,” Dr Webster said.

“At the same time many other facilities are waiting for exemptions from those requirements to be given, two weeks after the Government began enforcing them. This is just one of the many reasons why I hosted the successful Regional Aged Care Summit in Mildura last Thursday.”

Prior to the 2022 Federal Election Anthony Albanese unveiled a policy requiring facilities to always have at least one Registered Nurse on duty from 1 July 2023, then recently acknowledged this target would not be reached. The reform was recommended by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety launched by the Coalition government, along with expanded care minutes. Labor chose to implement the changes a year earlier than what the Royal Commission recommended despite a crisis in nurse staffing in regional Australia.

“Now at least 25 homes across Australia have closed since September while Labor pushes ahead with their one-size-fits-all policy that puts facilities at risk and leaves vulnerable residents in limbo,” Dr Webster said.

At last week’s Summit, 100 aged care providers and peak body representatives worked together to develop recommendations to government, including on the 24/7 RN requirement. The Summit communique reads in part:

“We note that the 24/7 RN requirement creates a perverse decrease in care continuity by preferencing the employment of inexperienced agency RNs compared with PCAs (personal care assistants), ENs (enrolled nurses) and EENs (endorsed ENs) who have provided care for many years to residents in regional aged care facilities. In addition, care minutes should incorporate allied health visits and doctor visits.”

A full communique of the findings of the Summit is set to be released and with the proposals already provided to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner and the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care, who have committed to respond.

“Regional Aged Care facilities will continue to close, irreparably removing aged care beds in rural, regional and remote communities, thanks to Labor’s hard-line stance. That is, unless the Minister recognises the regional aged care crisis and engages with the full Summit Communique.”