The government has released the 2022-23 October federal Budget which directly addresses 23 of the Royal Commission’s into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommendations. The Government has pledged to provide $2.5 billion over four years to boost the average care minutes for residential aged care residents and to support for aged care facilities to have registered nurses on site 24 hours per day.
As of October 2024, providers must meet the required average minimum of 215 care minutes, including 44 minutes with a registered nurse per person, per day, up from the current 200 care minutes and 40 minutes with a registered nurse per person, per day.
Another $810.2 million of government funding is going towards managing COVID-19 outbreaks in residential aged care facilities, along with $34.9 million going to in-reach testing until the end of December 2022.