The Government has revised its definition of personal care workers (PCWs) to prevent aged care providers from including social and emotional support provided by non-direct care staff, such as bus drivers, in mandatory care minute targets.

On 1 May 2025, the Department of Health and Aged Care held a webinar updating providers on care minutes funding, among other things, and included an updated definition of PCWs.

The change took effect on 1 January 2025.

After the webinar, Ageing Australia, the peak body for aged care providers, was contacted by several members seeking clarification about the PCW definition, and whether social and emotional support can count towards care minutes.

From 1 January, a PCW must be a staff member whose primary responsibility is providing personal care services to residents under the supervision of an RN or EN.

Personal care services include:

• assisting residents with activities of daily living,
• attending to personal hygiene, physical, administrative and cognitive needs, 
• assisting with clinical care, and
• delivering medical treatments and procedures, where qualified.

Can social and emotional support be included in care minute targets?

One-on-one social and emotional support for residents can be counted as direct care, and included in care minute targets, but only when delivered by a Registered Nurse, Enrolled Nurse, or Personal Care Worker/Assistant in Nursing.

If this support is provided by staff who do not meet these qualifications, it cannot be counted toward care minute requirements.

Why was the change introduced?

Sources have indicated that the change was introduced to address the issue of some providers reporting direct care minutes for workers like lifestyle coordinators, bus drivers, and receptionists, who, despite their interactions with residents, do not qualify as providing one-on-one social and emotional support.

Change could stifle innovation

Tom Symondson, CEO of Ageing Australia, told The SOURCE the updated PCW definition was implemented with "very little communication" and could make it more difficult for providers to comply with care minute targets, particularly for those in regional areas and those using alternative care models - and thereby could have the unintended consequence of stifling innovation.

"It’s imperative that such changes are clearly communicated in advance to ensure providers understand the new requirements so they can make any necessary adjustments to reporting, staffing and rosters," he said.

Rules should be sufficiently flexible to allow for innovative care models that may include workers in "dual roles" providing both direct and indirect care, Tom said.

The change "may also negatively impact those who are trying to implement the small home model where care workers may be supporting residents with multiple types of tasks, including helping them to make their own meals where they wish to do so.

"We definitely don’t want to see these models, which were positively highlighted by the Royal Commission, made unviable because of a change such as this," he cautioned.