Care minutes decrease as providers seek balance
Rob Covino presents Mirus Industry Analysis (MIA), a series of monthly insights into the key performance indicators and cumulative industry trends from the 90,000+ beds we monitor for financial sustainability.
Welcome to the February 2026 edition.
Revenue
The January data is in, and the Average Daily Subsidy increased slightly by 7 cents to $311.55. This small uplift reflects the ongoing backfilling of reassessments that are backdated to their effective dates, maintaining revenue stability across the sector.
Occupancy
Occupancy also declined for the second straight month, wiping out the gains of the previous five months.
The slowdown in occupancy was caused by declining permanent admissions, which aligns with seasonal fluctuations. If seasonal trends hold the autumn months should produce a rebound as it is typically the strongest season for entry into residential aged care. January also produced a big surge in room price activity that the beginning of each quarter tends to show as the starting point of such budget-based decisions.
Workforce management
Total care time and RN time decreased from December to January, with total time decreasing by -1.22% and RN time decreasing by -2.08%. Care delivery time decreased for the second month in a row as providers attempt to find the right balance after five consecutive months of increasing care delivery beyond the 215-minute threshold. Average Daily Subsidy increased by 0.02% or $0.07.
