The Medibank-owned virtual care specialists were awarded $31.2 million by the Federal Government in March to test a new framework to deliver virtual nursing in residential aged care.
The three-year trial, which will run until June 2027, is targeting 30 homes experiencing workforce shortages, in rural and remote areas, and supporting First Nations or culturally or linguistically diverse residents that could benefit from additional clinical support.
The homes were chosen in consultation with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
"Our nurses are working hand-in-hand with aged care staff at each Residential Aged Care Home, helping ease the pressure on a stretched workforce," said Amplar Health on LinkedIn.
"Since going live, our team has been answering inbound & outbound calls and conducting consults using Visionflex, our innovative camera-on-wheels technology that enables direct, real-time conversations with residents in their rooms."
La Trobe University will assess the impact of the virtual care, looking at clinical outcomes, workforce capacity, and the long-term sustainability of aged care.
The trial comes amid a shortage of aged care workers, particularly Registered Nurses, which is posing a challenge to achieving care minute targets. Only 75% of aged care homes are meeting RN care minute targets (with Enrolled Nurses included) with an estimated shortage of 1,490 RNs in 2024-25.
