Care minutes requirements 2026
In 2026, residential aged care homes must deliver a sector-wide average of 215 care minutes per resident per day, including 44 minutes of registered nurse care. Each home has its own target adjusted for the care needs of its residents. From 1 April 2026, some care funding for metropolitan homes is linked to whether those targets are actually delivered.
Aged Care Act 2024 (Cth)
Aged Care Rules 2025
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Care minutes in residential aged care
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Care minutes and 24/7 registered nurse requirements guides for registered providers
How the targets work
The care minutes responsibility is set under the Aged Care Act 2024 and the Aged Care Rules 2025, carrying forward targets that first became mandatory in October 2023 and rose to the current levels on 1 October 2024. The 215 and 44 minute figures are sector-wide averages. Your home's actual target is calculated each quarter from the AN-ACC classifications of your residents, so a home with higher care needs has a higher target. Care minutes count time spent by registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal care workers on direct care. Up to 10 per cent of the registered nurse target can be met with enrolled nurse minutes, although funding is calculated as if registered nurses delivered all 44 minutes.
Reporting and audit
Care minutes are reported through the Quarterly Financial Report, where providers record the care hours worked by each staff category. From the 2025-26 financial year, providers must also lodge a Care Minutes Performance Statement that has been externally audited, which makes the data more reliable and more visible. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing uses the reported hours to calculate performance against each home's target, and the results feed into the staffing component of Star Ratings published on My Aged Care. Keep rosters, timesheets and payroll records that clearly separate direct care time from other duties, because auditors will test them.
Funding linked to delivery from April 2026
From 1 April 2026, care funding for non-specialised homes in metropolitan areas is partly linked to the delivery of care minutes through a care minutes supplement. In practice, homes that fall short of their targets can lose part of their funding, while homes that meet them keep the full amount. Rural, remote and specialised homes are treated differently at this stage. Providers should check the current subsidy and supplement rates and the exact method for calculating shortfalls, because these are set in the Aged Care Rules 2025 and can be updated by the department.
What to do now
Check your home's current quarterly target in the department's provider portal and compare it with your reported hours. Review your roster so registered nurse time is spread across all shifts, and use enrolled nurses within the 10 per cent allowance. Make sure staff understand which duties count as direct care and which do not. If you are consistently below target, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission may ask for a plan to lift staffing, so document your recruitment efforts and the steps you are taking. Small improvements each quarter are easier to sustain than a last minute push before a reporting deadline.
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