Residential Performance
Understanding Care Minutes in Residential Aged Care
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What this means for providers
Care minutes apply to residential aged care, not Support at Home. Mandatory requirements commenced on 1 October 2023. The current sector-wide average is 215 total care minutes per resident per day, including 44 registered nurse minutes. Each home has its own quarterly target reflecting resident care needs.
Management questions and example measures are Centremetrics operational recommendations, not additional regulatory requirements.
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Use the calculated target for the relevant residential aged care home and quarter. Compare delivered total care minutes and RN minutes separately with those targets. Do not treat 215/44 as a universal home-level threshold or imply these figures applied from the original 2023 commencement.
Use current Department definitions and reporting guidance to determine eligible care time. Care minutes and 24/7 RN coverage are related but separate requirements.
Official sources
Refer to current regulator and program guidance for requirements, definitions and applicable service scope.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: care minutes in residential aged care(opens in a new tab)
- Department: current care-minutes target calculator(opens in a new tab)
General information only. Not legal, financial or clinical advice. Applicable requirements depend on a provider's registration category, services and circumstances. Providers should refer to current legislation and Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission guidance for regulatory requirements.
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