Aged care homes across Australia are facing lockdowns and Staff shortages as COVID-19 exposure impacts hundreds of facilities.

The latest data shows 495 aged care homes across the country have active outbreaks.

There are now 1370 residents who have the virus along with 1835 staff.

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Since July last year, there have been 239 deaths in aged care and 12 of them since the start of this year.

Carolyn Smith from the United Worker Union said the Omicron variant has had a "huge impact" on aged care facilities, and particularly on staff.

"We're hearing of reports of between five per cent but up to 40 per cent of staff not being able to come to work," she said.

Holy Family Services CEO Alexandra Davis said she has "never seen anything like this before".

"I've worked in aged care for a very, very long time and this is the first time I've actually had to go back on the floor as a registered nurse and I'm the CEO," she said.

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Facilities locked down

Not only are Staff Shortages plaguing aged care facilities across Australia, but homes are also being locked down due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"We're being told in all states where Omicron is spreading through the community, residents are being locked down," she said.

This is putting an emotional impact on residents who are unable to see friends and families.

Ms Smith said she has heard reports of residents pleading with staff to stay and talk to them, but due to staff shortages they are unable to provide that service.

"Every person they're assisting will say 'please stay, please talk to me' and the staff have to say 'I'm sorry I don't have time to talk'."

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Virginia Martin's 80-year-old father is currently in a locked-down aged care home in Canberra.

"It's affecting his mental health, he's in his room, he only gets his meals delivered, it's day 13," she said.

"These last few days, his voice is like, it's just changing a bit and the things that he's saying, it's just sad."

Aged care was under pressure prior to COVID-19

Ms Smith said the staff shortage in aged care homes across Australia is not a new issue.

"A lot of problems of aged care didn't just arrive with COVID-19 and Omicron," she said.

"Aged care was already understaffed and that's been exacerbated throughout the pandemic."

Ms Smith called for the Federal Government to take more action to support aged care facilities as Omicron cases continue to skyrocket.

"They saw what happened with the first waves of COVID-19, it's like Groundhog Day, we don't have enough PPE, we don't have an alternative staffing plan," she said.

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New close contact exemptions apply to aged care

National Cabinet today announced aged care workers will be exempt from close contact rules.

Workers will only need to get a negative rapid antigen test result before returning to work.

However, Ms Smith said this places a "huge emotional burden" on aged care workers.

She said workers are saying they are "worried we're going to give the virus to the people we care for".

Calls for defence to help

Former NSW Premier Mike Baird, now the CEO of Hammondcare, told 2GB's Chris O'Keefe yesterday the Federal Government should call in the ADF.

"They could help cleaning, bed making and cooking," he said.

"The exhaustion of the sector and lack of resources means this is an option."

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The Prime Minister today rejected calls for the ADF to be deployed in aged care facilities.

"The suggestion that defence forces can go and operate aged care, that is not the case," he said.

"They are not the shadow workforce for the entire economy or health workforce."

In the UK, armed forces have been deployed to hospitals to help with staff shortages.

Around 200 military medics will help doctors and nurses with patient care while general duty personnel fill gaps in other parts of the health system.