With Support at Home replacing home care packages and short-term restorative care, there are many changes seen in the aged care industry. One of these changes is home care is becoming more clinical, almost like a hospital system. The problem with this is that there is a shortage in the care workforce.
According to a study by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, more than 17,000 nurses will be needed by 2035 in residential aged care alone—this number does not even include home care.
Care providers are needing higher-acuity clinical care to meet the needs of aged Australians. As it is, healthcare home providers are already employing acute-care trained nurses, emergency, and ICU nurses to deliver required services, such as palliative care, rehabilitation, and IV therapies, as well as hospital substitution programs. And yet, the aged care sector believes they will not be able to meet demands in the upcoming months.