Aged care reform
Following years of neglect, significant aged care reforms in 2023 marked a turning point in the nation’s commitment to ensuring the delivery of safe and high-quality care for our elderly Australians. The Albanese Government implemented sweeping reforms across the sector, highlighted by pivotal legislation mandating the presence of a registered nurse 24/7 in every nursing […]
Removing ENs from aged care would have detrimental effects on safe and high-quality care
What would happen if the number of enrolled nurses, or shifts, were reduced in a nursing home? According to the ANMF’s National Aged Care Survey 2023, released last October, such a move would create more work for registered nurses, increase workloads for AINs/PCAs/PCWs, and result in serious detrimental effects in the provision of safe and […]
Aged care residents receive top care for continence but not for mental health, end-of-life or infection, world-first study finds
Aged care residents receive best practice care for continence issues but substandard attention when it comes to other common conditions including mental health, end-of-life care and urinary tract infections, according to world-first Australian research. Led by the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University, the study, published today in the international journal BMC Medicine, […]
Registrations open for draft new Aged Care Act consultation workshops
A new Aged Care Act is being introduced in response to a key recommendation made by the landmark Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The new Act will aim to put the rights and needs of older people at the centre of aged care and improve how aged care services are delivered to […]
Aged care nursing clinical placements program inspires next generation of nurses to join sector
Aged care nursing clinical placements program inspires next generation of nurses to join sector
New members appointed to National Aged Care Advisory Council
The federal government has appointed new members to the National Aged Care Advisory Council. Established in response to recommendation seven of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Council provides expert advice to government on key matters related to the aged care sector including implementation of aged care reforms, and building the […]
‘It’s the old people’: Why enrolled nurses (ENs) belong in aged care
Last year (2022), just two weeks out from Christmas, Tasmanian enrolled nurse Julie Wicks and dozens of her colleagues working across Southern Cross Care’s aged care facilities were asked to front up to a Monday morning meeting over Skype. Shock quickly spread after staff learned about plans to make all ENs redundant, meaning they wouldn’t […]
Have your say on the aged care wage increase
Have your say on the aged care wage increase
Recognising excellence: Aged care registered nurses’ payment for clinical skills and leadership
The second round of the Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment initiative is now open for eligible registered nurses. The payment, which opened on 6 November 2023, and close on 20 December 2023, acknowledges the vital role that registered nurses play in delivering high-quality care to older Australians. Registered nurses employed by eligible aged care providers […]
Nursing students can now access supported clinical placements in aged care
Bachelor of Nursing students can now apply for supported clinical placements in aged care through the federal government’s new Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements Program. The program involves clinical facilitators providing specialist support to nursing students, who must complete a minimum of 800 hours of clinical placement as part of their courses, while they are […]