The aged care sector is in the middle of a major shift. For many years, the way we cared for older people was seen as a piecemeal process. Today, new rules have set strict standards for how much time staff must spend with residents. This is known as the care minute requirement. While the goal is to improve the quality of life for seniors, the path to getting there is full of traps for you and your team.
Recent data shows that many providers are still struggling to find the right balance. You might feel like you are walking a thin wire. On one side, you have the government demanding you meet high care levels. On the other side, you have a budget that only stretches so far. If you spend too much on staff to meet the targets, your facility might lose money. If you do not spend enough, you fail to meet the law.
The Struggle to Meet Mandatory Targets
A recent survey by Mirus Australia looked at 263 organizations to see what keeps them awake at night. The results show a sector that is divided. About 28% of those surveyed said their main worry is missing compliance targets. Another 28% said they are most worried about overspending on their workforce.
This shows that there is no easy answer. Robert Covino, the founder of Mirus Australia, says that providers are "doing their utmost" to give good care while watching their money. He notes:
"This data tells us providers need greater visibility and tools to manage both care delivery and financial sustainability in tandem."
If you do not have a clear view of your data, you are flying blind. You might be giving more care than you are actually getting paid for. In fact, 13% of providers suspect they are delivering more care than their funding covers, but they do not have the tools to prove it.
Walking the Financial Tightrope
In the world of aged care, money and minutes are now linked. You cannot manage one without the other. The survey showed that confidence in funding is quite low. Less than half of the sector says they track their funding and compliance levels closely.
When you do not track these numbers, you risk "roster overspend." This happens when you put too many staff on a shift or use expensive agency workers to fill gaps. Because the margins are so thin, even a small mistake can lead to a big loss.
John Ashby, a general manager at Whiddon, explains that his team tries to stay within a 0.5% margin of their targets. He says:
"It is important to not excessively exceed it as there is insufficient weight to overspend."
For a large organization with many beds, staying that close to the target is a massive job. It requires you to look at your rosters every single week.
Why Reporting and Data Still Cause Headaches
Another big issue is the speed of your information. About 13% of providers say that slow or wrong reporting is their biggest challenge. If you only find out you missed your care minute target at the end of the month, it is too late to fix it.
You need to see what is happening right now. Without real-time data, you cannot make the quick changes needed to stay on track. This is where modern tools come into play. Many groups are now looking at how AI in aged care can help manage these complex schedules. AI can look at your resident needs and your staff availability much faster than a human can. It can help you find the "sweet spot" where you meet your targets without wasting a cent.
How Leading Providers Are Solving the Puzzle
So, how are some groups getting it right? Both Whiddon and RAAFA WA have shared their secrets. They did not just hope for the best: they changed how they work.
Centralized Rostering at Whiddon
Whiddon moved to a system where a central team looks at the rosters for all 22 of their facilities. This team does not do the daily hiring. Instead, they act as a support group. They look at the care minute reports and tell the facility managers where they need to add or cut hours.
John Ashby says this has put them in a great spot. They are currently only 1.1% over their target across 1,600 beds. This was not a quick fix. It took time to learn which "levers to pull" to make the numbers line up.
Data Dashboards at RAAFA
RAAFA WA took a different path by building their own digital dashboard. This tool pulls info from many places, like:
- How many residents are in the building (occupancy).
- The specific care needs of those residents (AN-ACC details).
- When staff clock in and out.
Lyn Tong from RAAFA says this dashboard lets them see where they will "land" before the quarter ends. They even used "time in motion" studies to see exactly how long tasks take. This gave them the proof they needed to show the government they were doing the right thing.
The Human Side of Technology
While data is king, you must also think about the people involved. Lachie Green, a researcher in aged care ethics, warns against using technology just because it is new. He believes you should use your mission statement as a compass.
Innovation should make the lives of residents better, not just make the numbers look good. You do not want a "Frankenstein’s sector" where bits of technology are stitched together without a plan. You should ask yourself:
- Does this tool help my staff spend more time talking to residents?
- Does it reduce the stress of my nurses?
- Does it make the care feel more human?
If the answer is no, the technology might be a distraction rather than a help. You must be purposeful in how you change your facility.
Taking Your Next Steps with Care minute
Meeting your targets is a long-term goal, not a one-time task. You should start by looking at your current visibility. Can you see your spend in real-time? Do your clinical and finance teams talk to each other every week?
If you are one of the many providers worried about compliance or costs, remember that you are not alone. The sector is learning together. By using better data, focusing on smart rostering, and keeping your mission in mind, you can find a way through the maze. You have the power to turn these concerns into a solid plan for the future of your facility.
