Staffing Challenges in Regional Aged Care Homes

Aged care recruitment in Australia requires plenty of hard work. That’s because the sector is facing a staffing shortage that is only getting bigger with each passing day.

Put simply, there aren’t enough nurses and other health professionals to keep up with the growing demand for aged care. This is a trend that echoes across the broader healthcare sector, but it’s especially impacting aged care services in regional and rural Australia.

However, there’s a bit more to the problem than ‘not having enough people’. Aged care is a complex environment, with multiple factors influencing workforce demand and availability.

Let’s go beyond the headlines to explore why the sector is facing workforce challenges and how aged care recruitment agencies help with tackling the issue – and keeping services running. Let’s go!

Aged Care Recruitment & Retention: The Local Talent Gap

The laws of supply and demand are the foundation of aged care staffing challenges: There’s no sugar-coating it – the numbers are worrying.

By 2031, nearly 20% of Australians will be over the age of 65, adding more pressure to existing demand for aged care services. That’s a shortage of at least 110,000 direct aged care workers within the next 10 years, which needs at least 17,000 more direct aged care workers coming into the sector each year.

Another factor adding to the sector’s woes is an ageing workforce. The average age of an aged care worker in Australia is 47 years. About half of the aged care workforce is set to retire within 15 years.

The staffing gap for registered nurses in aged care is also set to grow significantly over the coming decade. Government analysis suggests a projected shortfall of 17,551 full time RNs by 2035 (accounting for 24/7 RN staffing and mandatory care minutes in residential aged care).

For aged care providers in regional and rural areas, the challenges are even worse. As UOW notes, “private healthcare services often struggle to operate in small rural areas due to economic and logistical challenges”.

“Based on these shortfalls, it’s clear that improvements in the recruitment and retention of a rural health workforce in small rural towns is desperately needed, but this will take time before it makes a difference in the community,” says Dr Colin Cortie, from the University of Wollongong’s Graduate School of Medicine.

Compliance & Regulatory Pressures

Adding to staffing challenges are new regulatory pressures to deliver higher quality care. As researchers noted, with the minimum average level of direct care mandated to rise to 215 minutes per resident per day (and registered nurse care to rise to 44 minutes) from October 2024, resourcing is only getting more difficult.

Burnout Leading to High Turnover

Staffing gaps in aged care lead to heavier workloads, which lead to another problem: employee burnout. For context: rates of burnout among aged care workers range between 30-50% in care systems similar to those in Australia.

With high rates of burnout, we’re looking at more staffing churn, which is backed up by data. Australian research has found aged care workforce turnover rates sitting anywhere between 23-38%.

While there’s no quick or easy fix for these challenges, more strategic workforce planning allows employers to make their aged care recruitment more targeted, efficient and effective. More hands-on deck ultimately equates to less pressure on existing employees.

A Sustainable Talent Network Is Essential

As anyone with experience in recruiting for aged care roles will agree, effective recruitment takes a lot more than posting adverts on job boards. Aged care recruitment is a full-time enterprise, requiring plenty of work to build a reputable brand that aged care professionals can trust, and want to work for.

For many organisations in aged care, it can be tough to get your ‘employer brand’ out there when you have other work to do! That’s why the team at Curamoir has invested significantly into building its own brand and reputation, to support our clients in attracting essential talent they wouldn’t otherwise be able to on their own.

Our referral-based recruitment model offers access to a strong network of local aged care professionals wherever possible, helping aged care providers maintain high-quality care standards. (For more information on how we can help, get in touch with us!)

Covering Gaps With Aged Care Travel Nurses

When you’re running an aged care facility, having access to skilled nurses right now can be the difference between keeping things running smoothly or staff burning out under pressure. That’s where travel nurses step in.

Travel nurses (sometimes called agency or locum nurses) are experienced professionals who can quickly hit the ground running. Many rely on them to cover shifts or work short-term contracts in locations where permanent staff are thin on the ground. In regional and rural Australia, travel nurses are often lifesavers. They have solid clinical skills and have seen it all, so they’re as resilient and adaptable as nurses get!

Hiring travel nurses is often the best solution in regional and remote areas. Here at Curamoir, we specialise in recruiting remote area nurses, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to find out more.

But Long-Term Planning Is Important Too

While aged care travel nurses provide vital short-term relief, a sustainable workforce strategy means looking beyond temporary fixes. The best aged care recruitment agencies understand they need to help employers break free from short-term hiring cycles.

That’s why Curamoir works closely with aged care employers to help them be proactive in their workforce planning. We help organisations identify workforce gaps early, so they can get ahead of demand rather than constantly playing catch-up.

Over time, this allows us to transition aged care providers away from relying heavily on travel staff and towards a more stable, locally sourced workforce. Our goal is to create long-term connections between employers and care workers who want to stay, grow, and build their careers within the community.

Tapping Into Local & International Talent for Aged Care Jobs

Building a sustainable aged care workforce often means thinking outside the box (or outside the postcode).

At Curamoir, we’re continuously engaging with talent across Australia. Our work involves identifying skilled nurses and carers who are willing to relocate to high-demand regional and rural areas. We’re proud to work with these professionals, who bring incredible expertise and a passion for community healthcare. They just need the right support to make the move, so we work hard to encourage them to make the leap!

We’re also tapping into international talent pipelines, particularly through our well-established recruitment networks in Ireland and beyond. International nurses bring valuable experience and often a genuine desire to contribute to Australia’s aged care sector long-term.

A Sustainable Future for Aged Care Staffing

There’s no magic wand for fixing aged care recruitment challenges, but we do believe there is a smarter way forward. At Curamoir, we’re all about helping aged care providers think beyond short-term solutions and building a workforce that’s stable, supported, and ready for the future.

Doing the right work goes beyond filling shifts. Finding the right people, for the right roles, in the right communities is what makes the difference.

What Our Clients Say

Proserpine Nursing Home – Rural Aged Care Facility
Being a not-for-profit aged care facility in a rural location poses many difficulties when it comes to engaging potential staff, which means we often need to source through agencies. During our most recent recruitment process, PNH connected with Curamoir and their recruitment team.

Seb, our agent, has been incredibly proactive, and his service to date has been outstanding. He took the time to understand the needs of our organisation and was thorough in identifying the skills and experience required in our staffing. Seb identified candidates who were not only qualified but suited to both our professional standards and the challenges of a remote setting.

Seb’s professionalism, transparent communication, and prompt follow-up made the entire process seamless. Thanks to Seb and the Curamoir team, we now have dedicated and compassionate nursing staff who will soon be onboarding with our facility.

We highly recommend Curamoir Healthcare Recruitment to any organisation—especially those facing similar rural recruitment challenges. Overall, this is a very friendly, customer-focused and reliable service which we look forward to working with again in the future.
“Their dedication truly sets them apart.”

Quambie Park – Rural Aged Care Facility (WA)
It is refreshing to work with Curamoir, and Ryan and Ross specifically. They took the time to get to know us, understand our needs, go the extra mile, and deliver on their promises—unlike other agencies we've dealt with.

As an organisation based in regional WA, we had some concerns about whether agencies could actually deliver support, but Curamoir went above and beyond. Ryan took the time to connect, understand our business and challenges, and is proactive (and fun!) to work with. They’re true collaborators—never pushy or salesy.
“15 out of 10 for excellence!”

IAWA Home Care - Regional Aged & Community Care
It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Daniel and the team at Curamoir. As a regional provider, finding quality staff, especially on short notice, can be a real challenge. However, Daniel made the entire process seem effortless.

He took the time to fully understand our organisation and its specific requirements and was able to provide us with the perfect contingent staff. The local nurses Daniel and his team provided ticked all the boxes: fully compliant, highly skilled, seamlessly integrated into our team, and hit the ground running from day one.

Throughout the process, communication was clear, consistent, and incredibly supportive. This was our first time working with an agency, and we couldn’t have had a better experience. Thanks to their flexibility and support, we now have greater capacity within our organisation.

We highly recommend Curamoir to any healthcare, aged care, or community care providers—particularly those in regional areas.

Get In Touch

Need an aged care recruitment specialist who’s in it for the long haul? Get in touch with the Curamoir team – we’d love to help.