TLC Healthcare CEO Validates the Requirement of 24/7 Registered Nurses in Aged Care Homes

TLC CEO Lou Pascuzzi has announced today there is no reason aged care homes cannot provide 24/7 nursing staff to care for their residents. “We certainly didn’t have to wait for a Royal Commission to tell us we needed 24/7 registered nursing staff. We’ve had Registered Nurses (RN’s) on staff 24/7 since the inception of the company. We see it as being clinically necessary when providing this level of care to our residents."

"To hear some providers won’t meet the July 2023 deadline, particularly when they’ve had 18 months to prepare for it, and have been accepting the associated funding since October 2022, is outrageous”, says Pascuzzi.

“I can understand homes finding it difficult meeting mandated care minutes, but not with providing 24/7 registered nursing staff. I can also see where small homes or rural and regional homes may struggle, but there are exemptions for small homes and monthly supplements for homes with less than 60 beds. One registered nurse is a minimum for maintaining a high level of clinical care to residents, and to providing support to those staff who are not RNs. Ultimately, we have a duty of care to our residents and our staff.

“Our experience has not realised a shortage of RNs to meet the 24/7 requirements.

“Providers are exposing their inability to operate in the current climate, but high standards are what our aged care residents need and deserve. Perhaps more providers should consider whether they have the ability to operate in the sector”, Pascuzzi added.

TLC operates residential aged care homes, medical centres, and registered training facilities located across Melbourne and Geelong.

TLC has opened Australia’s first multi-generational healthcare precinct in the Melbourne suburb of Mordialloc, offering 147 residential aged care places, a community medical centre, a 118-place early learning centre, a commercial health club with 20m indoor swimming pool, and commercial café known as 'The Village Café'; all in the one location.

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