More aged care facilities close after nursing mandate

The government has defended strict staffing requirements for aged care facilities as a necessary change as more centres close their doors over recruitment and cost pressures.

Western Australia's Brightwater Care Group is the latest aged care operator to shut some of its homes, citing problems meeting a new staffing mandate.

From July, it will be a requirement for all aged care centres to have a registered nurse on-site around the clock.

Brightwater operates 23 centres across WA, but chief executive Catherine Stoddart confirmed three of its Perth sites will close in the next 12 months. 

The 75 residents at the Joondalup, Huntingdale and South Lake facilities will be relocated to other centres that meet their needs and price range, she said.

"We are proud of the high level of care we provide to our residents," Ms Stoddart said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, modelling of our rosters to meet the new minimum staffing requirements has shown that our smallest facilities will not be best-placed to deliver the quality of care we pride ourselves on in a financially sustainable way."

The decision comes after Wesley Mission revealed on Thursday that all three of its Sydney aged care homes will close, affecting nearly 200 residents.

The Australian College of Nursing and Aged and Community Care Providers Association have warned there could be more closures in the sector due to staffing and financial problems.

Labor frontbencher Jason Clare maintained the staffing mandates were important following a damning royal commission into the aged care sector.

"People were dying in aged care because they weren't being looked after and the royal commission recommended that there be a nurse on-site 24 hours a day," he told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday.

"If my mum was in aged care, I want there to be a nurse there, so we said that we will make this happen."

Eighty per cent of homes already meet the nursing requirements while about 10 per cent have nursing staff for only part of the day, Mr Clare said.

"There's about another 10 per cent of centres where they need more time, they need more support and what we've said is, if you need more time, if you need more support, then we'll work with you to do that," he said.

But deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley accused the government of letting aged care residents down, saying there was no need to rush through the changes. 

"We agreed with the royal commission, we said nurses in place as they recommended by 2024," she said.

"Now, the Labor government brought that forward and these are the consequences."