Written by STEVEN BURKE.

A SHORTAGE of nurses and uncertainty over funding is stretching aged care providers to their limits, according to the head of one of Wangaratta’s biggest aged care providers.

St John’s Village chief executive, Joe Caruso, has relayed his concerns to Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi), amid fears over the immediate future of the aged care industry.

"Our major concern regards the current Federal Government’s non-committal to an indexation (in funding) of 1.75 per cent in the May budget," Mr Caruso said.

"In the past, the Federal Government would notify us before the budget if we were going to get the funding but that has not happened this year.

"We are currently locked into a four per cent (annual increase) collective bargaining agreement with nurses.

"If we do not receive this funding, it would spell serious issues for aged care providers."