The Australian Nursing Federation is ramping up its demands for more carers and better wages with a Valentine’s Day national day of action.

The ANF is calling on Prime Minister Julia Gillard to ‘show some love for older Australians’ as it calls for urgent reform of the aged care sector as part of its Because We Care campaign.

ANF federal secretary Lee Thomas is launching the day in Melbourne with nurses, assistants in nursing, residents and their families alongside Federal MPs and aged care sector providers.

Key stakeholders are meeting at nursing homes around the country as ANF figures show there will be 1.8 million people aged over 85 by 2050, up from today’s figure of 87,000, while estimates show 1.1 million Australians will suffer from dementia by 2050.

The union is calling for the Federal Government to stop the slide in the number of nurses and assistants in nursing with better wages and the right balance of skills and nursing hours.

"Providers, consumer groups and unions all agree that aged care urgently requires reform to ensure it is adequately resourced with more staff, much higher wages and a focus on quality of care for residents," Ms Thomas said.

"We all know that residents are living longer and require more complex care when they enter nursing homes now.

"At a time when it is getting more difficult to attract nurses and assistants in nursing, less time is being spent with residents as providers struggle in an under-resourced industry."