From 1 October 2025, aged care homes in Australia will be required to meet both registered nurse and total care minute targets to achieve a Staffing Rating of 3 or more stars under the overarching Star Ratings System. 

What is the Star Ratings system?  

Star Ratings was introduced in 2022 as a way for older people, their families, and carers to compare the quality of aged care homes. Aged care homes receive an overall rating based on their performance across four4 sub-categories, each rated on a 5-star scale:  

• Residents’ Experience – based on a survey conducted with residents 

• Compliance – based on regulatory decisions by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission  

• Staffing – based on average care time provided by registered nurses, enrolled nurses, personal care nurses, and assistants in nursing  

• Quality Measures – based on quality of care for pressure injuries, restrictive practices, unplanned weight loss, falls and major injury, and medication management.   

Previously, aged care homes were able to receive a Staffing Rating of acceptable (3 stars) or above without meeting both their mandatory care minutes targets. This tolerance was introduced when Star Ratings was initially rolled out, recognising that the aged care workforce was facing constraints in recruitment and retention of skilled staff.   

Thanks to advocacy from unions and community groups, the Star Ratings system will now be updated to ensure it accurately reflects compliance with care minutes legislation.   

So, what changes are happening to the Staffing Ratings component of the Star Ratings system from 1 October 2025? 

The Staffing Ratings component has always comprised of two sub-categories:  

• Total care time: This could come from a registered nurse, enrolled nurse, or direct care worker (DCW)  

• Registered nurse only care time: This must be delivered primarily by registered nurses but can include care time from enrolled nurses for up to 10% of the registered nurse care minute target. 

Before 1 October 2025 

Prior to 1 October 2025, aged care homes could receive a Staffing Rating of acceptable (3 stars) or higher even if they did not meet both legislated care minute targets. 

From 1 October 2025 onwards 

Under the updated approach, aged care homes must meet both legislated care minute targets – including total care minutes and registered nurse only care minutes – in order to achieve 3 stars or more for their Staffing Rating. 

When and how will this be reflected in the overall Star Ratings?  

Although the new requirement takes effect from 1 October 2025, the impact will not be visible immediately on the published Star Ratings. 

The updated Staffing Ratings calculations, and resulting impact on the overall Star Ratings, will first appear in mid-2026, as part of the second quarterly Star Ratings update for that year. This is because that update will reflect the data collected during the quarter of 1 October to 31 December 2025. 

In the meantime, people can use the Find a Provider tool on the My Aged Care website to search for aged care homes and see their Star Ratings. However, note that you won’t start to see the staffing component impact the overall Star Rating until mid-2026.