In Victoria nursing ratios in public aged care are mandated under the Safe Patient Care Act 2015, with current ratios at one nurse to seven residents, plus one nurse in charge, on an AM shift, one to eight (plus one nurse in charge) on a PM shift and one to 15 at night.
Source: Report on Government Services 2018 (Aged Care Services), Productivity Commission
Source: The Aged Care Workforce, 2016, March 2017
However in Victoria, only 10.3 per cent of aged care services are government run, with many of these in regional and rural areas. In Victoria 53 per cent of aged care is privately run and 36.4 per cent is run by not for profits, with no mandated staffing to resident ratios.
Source: Australian Government’s ‘The Aged Care Workforce 2016’ report
Source: 2015–16 Report on the Operation of the Aged care Act 1997, Australian Government Department of Health
The private ownership of nursing home places in Victoria is also increasing, along with the number of aged care residents, and their level of care needs. More than half (52 per cent) of people living in permanent residential aged care in 2016 had dementia and nearly half have depression.
Source: 2015–16 Report on the Operation of the Aged care Act 1997, Australian Government Department of Health
Source: 2015–16 Report on the Operation of the Aged care Act 1997, Australian Government Department of Health
