Choosing a residential aged care facility can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to understand long lists of services, room options, fees, and marketing language. One of the most important things you can measure is the level of care that is available to your loved one and how it will impact their quality of daily life.
The aged care system introduced minimum staffing standards a while back. Changes in November 2026 strengthened these standards and makes the facilities more accountable. .
In this blog, I will explain what these staffing requirements mean, what changes happened in 2025 and how you can use this information when comparing residential aged care homes in Perth.
What You Need to Know About Current Staffing Standards
The government now requires residential aged care homes to provide a minimum number of care minutes per resident each day and to have a registered nurse on duty around the clock.
Minimum Care Minutes Per Resident
Care minutes represent the actual time staff spend providing direct care to residents. This includes assistance with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, mobility, meals, medication support, and clinical monitoring. Each facility reports the amount of care time it provides to its residents, and this data is used in official performance measures.
Under current standards, aged care homes are generally expected to provide at least 215 minutes of direct care per resident per day, including care from registered nurses, enrolled nurses, personal care workers, and assistants in nursing. A portion of these minutes must come from registered nurses.
Registered Nurse Coverage 24/7
Facilities must have at least one registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day, every day. This requirement was part of the initial legislative reforms and reflects the important role RNs play in clinical assessment and responding to health changes.
Why 2026 Is a Milestone Year for Families Looking at Care
Although the staffing standards are already in place, 2026 marks a significant shift in accountability. Beginning in early 2026, funding for a facility will be linked more directly to whether it meets the required care minutes.
Previously, providers recorded and reported their staffing data. In 2026, external audits and stronger verification were introduced. This means care minutes data must be accurate and evidence-based, not self-reported, and will be used to assess funding eligibility and staffing star ratings.
This oversight gives families a much clearer way to compare facilities based on actual care delivered, not just what is promised in brochures or on websites.
What “Care Minutes” Really Mean in Everyday Life
When you hear terms like “215 care minutes per resident per day,” that can sound abstract. What families need to understand is that these minutes reflect actual time care staff spend with your loved one, from assisted daily living support, to clinical oversight, medication management and administration.
Increased care minutes should lead to more meaningful interactions between staff and residents and to a higher overall level of care for your loved ones.
Staffing and Quality of Life: Why It Matters
When families visit aged care homes, it is natural to notice comfortable living spaces, gardens, or activity programs. These things matter, but the true driver of care quality is staffing. How much time do staff get to spend with residents in a meaningful and impactful way, not just ticking a box?
Better staffing means:
- More attentive help with personal care and daily living needs. Staff have extra time to understand their residents and support their own individual wants and needs.
- Faster response to changes in health or behaviour
- Stronger relationships between staff and residents
- A higher chance of acknowledging any issues and responding in a more timely manner.
- A tightening of the facilities procedures and policies to ensure better outcomes for their residents.
Good staffing boosts dignity, wellbeing and confidence in care, and it is one of the most meaningful indicators families can use when choosing a home.
Questions You Should Ask When Touring a Facility
The staffing information you read about on paper is only useful if you know how to apply it in real life. When you visit a facility, here are the types of questions that can help you compare care quality:
- “What are your staff-to-resident ratios on mornings, afternoons, and night shifts?”
- What is your complaints and feedback system?
- “How does the home respond when a resident’s care needs increase?”
- “What ongoing training and retention strategies are available for your staff? What is the average years of service of your staff?”
Asking these kinds of questions moves you beyond marketing language and gets you insight into how care is actually delivered every day.
What This Means for Perth Families
For families in Perth, 2026 brings clarity and accountability that have been missing for years. You now have measurable benchmarks to ask about, compare, and question when touring residential aged care homes.
Documented care minute statistics, along with other quality data available on My Aged Care, provide valuable information for families as part of their decision-making process.
How I Can Help You Use This Information
If you are reading through the My Aged Care data and wondering how to apply this when visiting facilities in Perth, you are not alone. Many families know staffing is important, but are not always sure what the data means or how to compare homes confidently.
At Navigate Aged Care Solutions, I educate and support families to gain the knowledge and confidence to ask the right questions and make the right decisions for their loved one.
Connect with me to discuss your needs and the available options.