Aged care is often perceived as about acute care for very infirm individuals but in fact the number of people in that segment is fairly small. There are many older people who while leading active lives need occasional or topical care and there are opportunities for nurses who want to specialise in areas such as rehabilitation wound care diabetes or mental issues within an aged care framework. The Royal College of Nursing Australia is aiming for a more community-focused approach to the whole field of aged care nursing.
The expertise needed by aged care nurses includes high-level assessment diagnosis treatment and evaluation skills in relation to older people.