Aged care plays a vital role in regional Australia. Australia’s population is ageing, and a larger proportion of our older population lives in the regions than the cities.

One in four older Australians lives in a regional area, with 11 percent living in a rural or remote area.

However, regional aged care facilities face many additional challenges. Despite this, in many cases they outperform those in the cities.

So why is this the case?

Thanks to The Conversation and the National Rural Health Alliance, we explore how regional aged-care facilities are outperforming their city counterparts despite the challenges they face.

Rural aged care homes can have poorer financial outcomes.

Regional homes lose an average of $8,600 per resident, nearly twice that of city homes, which lose an average of $4,500 per resident.

There are a range of factors behind this. Regional nursing homes often have lower occupancy rates. In addition, they are more reliant on higher-cost agency nurses and personal care workers.
Food, laundry, cleaning and other everyday living expenses and accommodation can also be more expensive in regional areas.

For older Australians living in regional areas, accessing services can sometimes be a challenge. The availability of aged care services in regional areas is significantly lower than in metropolitan areas. Older Australians often don’t have access to the care they need or have delays in receiving it, which can lead to frailty and functional decline. When aged care facilities close in regional areas, the impact is significant. In many cases, it means older people have to relocate or travel long distances to receive care.

Considering these challenges, it might surprise you that aged care residents in rural and remote facilities, on average, rate the quality of their care higher than their city counterparts.
Each year, residents are surveyed about their experience living in an aged care home, including the staff knowledge, communication, care and food. These results are published as star ratings. The higher the stars a facility receives, the better its care is deemed to have been.

Rural and remote aged care homes scored an average of 3.8 stars out of 5. In comparison, homes in major cities scored an average of 3.4 out of 5.

It has been generally accepted that regional aged care facilities find it more difficult to attract and retain staff. However, analysis shows that regional aged care facilities are actually meeting new government staffing targets more effectively than their city counterparts.

In October 2023, it became mandatory for aged care homes to deliver 200 minutes of nursing and personal care to each of their residents on a daily basis, with 40 minutes of this provided by a registered nurse. These targets were set to ensure that residents receive the necessary level of care, and their achievement is a key indicator of the quality of care provided by a facility.

Analysis reveals 80% of aged care homes in regional areas have met staffing targets compared to 35% in major cities.

So why is this the case?

Many aged care facilities in smaller areas receive a registered nurse supplement, which helps them meet staffing targets and deliver a higher quality of care. Other financial incentives, including business and workforce advisory services and direct financial aid, have also been provided to support regional aged care homes.

In addition, regional aged care facilities are more likely to be run as non-profits. Studies have shown that non-profit aged care facilities offer, on average, a higher level of care.
With appropriate resourcing, quality aged care can be delivered regardless of where you live in Australia.

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