Aged care bed shortage increasing in South Australia
It’s well known that Australia’s aged care system is under increasing pressure. But in South Australia, the strain is especially severe. The state has the highest rate of hospital patients waiting for an aged care bed. Right now, 280 people are in Adelaide hospitals waiting for placement. That number has more than doubled in just 15 months. A shortage of vacancies means many patients are stuck in hospital for weeks or even months. For some, it can be even longer.
So what’s behind the issue and what can be done about it?
What are the impacts?
Increased pressure on hospitals
Ambulance ramping has reached a record high in South Australia. Experts say a lack of aged care beds is a major cause. The state also has the lowest rate of aged care vacancies in the country. This creates a bottleneck that clogs the hospital system. Patients stay in beds that should be available for new admissions.
In July, patients spent 5,866 hours ramped in ambulances outside public hospitals. This broke the previous record of 5,539 hours set in July last year. In some cases, paramedics are stuck on ramps for more than 12 hours. These delays mean ambulances cannot respond to other emergencies, leaving communities at risk.
Negative impacts on patient care
Chloe Hurst is a consultant in geriatric and palliative medical care. She says the shortage affects patients as well as the hospital system.
“It’s not ideal for them to be waiting in a hospital bed … when they could be in a better environment in a nursing home … which is more homely, which has increased socialisation; people’s physical mobility declines in hospital as opposed to in a nursing home,” Dr Hurst told The Advertiser.
Long hospital stays can also affect mental health. Patients may feel isolated and anxious. They may miss the social activities, routines, and sense of community found in aged care homes.
What can be done?
Recently, the South Australian government set up a hotel hospital in the CBD. Health professionals care for patients there while they wait to return home or enter aged care. The government says this has saved 4,000 hospital bed days since February. Experts warn it is only a short-term fix and does not address the root cause.
Additionally, needs to be done to boost workforce numbers in both hospitals and aged care. This will help ensure patients get the care they need and prevent staff burnout. Recruitment and training programs could help fill gaps faster.
Melissa Reading co-founded the online care platform Violet. She believes there needs to be more discussion about ageing well and planning for the future.
“We don’t talk about or plan for this life stage enough … what that means is there’s a real lack of preparation and understanding around key decisions; they’re often left until crisis moments in hospital corridors where someone has had a fall,” Ms Reading told The Advertiser.
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Article References
Emeck, N (9 August 2025) ‘‘Perfect storm’: SA hospital ramping hits record 5866 hours in July as paramedics report 12-hour waits’, The Advertiser, accessed 11 August 2025.
Lim, J (9 August 2025) ‘Ambulance ramping reaches record high in South Australia amid flu season’, ABC News, accessed 11 August 2025.
Whitfield-Baker, R (22 June 2025) ‘Aged-care patients locked in hospital beds fuelling South Australian ramping crisis‘, warns Dr Chloe Furst’, The Advertiser, accessed 11 August 2025.