The Australian Government has launched a $31.2 million initiative to develop and test virtual nursing support in aged care, with a special focus on facilities in rural and remote areas.
Up to 30 residential aged care homes will participate in the trial, which will run from March 2025 until June 2027. The project, led by Amplar Home Health Pty Ltd, will particularly target facilities supporting First Nations elders and culturally diverse communities.
La Trobe University has received $1.66 million to evaluate the program’s effectiveness, measuring impacts on clinical outcomes, workforce sustainability and service delivery.
“The Albanese Government is committed to building and strengthening a valued, supported and skilled aged care workforce to meet the needs of older people,” said Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells.
While the initiative explores virtual care solutions, Wells emphasised this would supplement, not replace, in-person nursing: “Under the Albanese Government there is now a registered nurse onsite in aged care homes 99% of the time and our requirement for 24/7 nursing is not changing.”
The evaluation will be conducted through a first-time collaboration between La Trobe’s Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing and the John Richard Centre for Rural Ageing Research.
Professor Yvonne Wells, who will lead the research team, noted that their diverse expertise “will ensure our evaluation is robust and informative.”
Associate Professor Sean MacDermott highlighted the importance of their early involvement: “This is where they will have the greatest opportunity to provide key advice and information as it relates to the program design and delivery. In doing so, we hope to not only optimise program results but also enhance the care outcomes and quality of care provided to older people living in residential aged care, particularly in rural communities.”
The project aligns with the government’s Professional Framework for aged care, which identifies innovation as one of eight priority goals.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
