Nursing homes in regional NSW have been facing issues in residency availability, due to lack of staff and small facilities. resulting in many families struggling to find care for elderly members.
The situation is growing more complex due to an aging population putting extra strain on the aged-care system and a persistent shortage of qualified healthcare professionals needed to meet the rising demand for services.
CEDA Chief Economist Cassandra Winzar has discussed the issue with National Seniors Australia, highlighting that new staffing regulations are causing operational challenges for facilities, leading to reduced services or even closures.
“New mandated staffing levels mean many facilities are operating well below full capacity because they can’t get enough workers. Some have closed altogether,” Ms Winzar said.
CEDA has found that from December 2021 to June 2022, the number of regional patients in NSW awaiting discharge to an aged-care facility nearly tripled.
The current crisis is not confined to any one region and affects both urban and rural areas. In urban centres, high demand and rising property costs have made it challenging for new facilities to open.
Meanwhile, rural communities face a lack of available facilities, forcing families to consider relocating their loved ones far from their familiar surroundings.
Experts attribute the shortage to a combination of factors, including insufficient funding for long-term care services, low wages for nursing home staff, size of the facilities and a growing aging population.
Aged care worker Sophie Morrison, from rural NSW, has noticed the availability problem that nursing homes are experiencing and believes that the lack of space is a main contributing factor, especially in small rural towns, along with staffing issues.
“I think the problem definitely stems from the lack of staff in the aged-care industry and definitely the space of the facilities available. In rural towns, nursing homes aren’t that big which plays a part in the issue too,” she said.
“But the staffing problems make it extremely hard to bring new residents in, which is a shame.”
Ms Morrison said many facilities, especially smaller nursing homes, struggle to retain qualified personnel due to the demanding nature of the work, comparatively low compensation, and the additional challenges of limited resources and support.
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