Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the government will send the Australian Defence Force into aged care homes to ease severe staff shortages in the sector.

Up to 1,700 Defence staff may be asked to support the sector, with three different kinds of ADF teams being sent in: clinical, general support and logistical.

Mr Morrison said ADF staff could not replace lost shifts, but could provide acute support. 

"The Defence Force are not a surrogate workforce for the aged care sector," Mr Morrison said.

"But they do and can and have provided quite targeted support in the aged care sector."

"Whilst we are seeing a decrease in the number of active cases, we do know that there are significant pressures in specific facilities," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

Mr Hunt said the assistance was also "recognition" that many aged care workers were fatigued.

Defence assistance comes after weeks of pressure

Clinical teams of 10, including a registered nurse, will be sent to assist first responders in aged care facilities facing acute staff shortages.

General support teams will assist in waste management, protective equipment management and other general duties.

Logistical teams will help to plan staffing and care.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said 24,000 Australian Defence Force staff had already contributed over the course of Operation COVID Assist.

"This is a significant intervention by the Australian Defence Force. Up to 1,700 of our personnel will provide assistance at our aged care facilities and in particular at those that are most in need," Mr Dutton said.

"Hundreds of thousands involved in the [aged care] workforce need support and we'll provide them with that support, but we can't replace that workforce, nor would we want to try and do that."

Mr Morrison said ADF assistance would help to improve the quality of life for people living in aged care homes.

Unions, community groups and human rights advocates have warned elderly people have been isolated for months on end and have gone without showers and proper care as Omicron has struck facilities.

The government had been resistng pressure to call in the ADF for several weeks, but Mr Morrison said today's announcement had taken weeks of planning and talks with ADF chiefs.

Royal commissioner Lynelle Briggs on Friday said the sector was in crisis due to the government's failure to plan for ongoing COVID outbreaks.

The aged care royal commission recommended urgent work to improve the aged care workforce when it was handed down early last year.

More aged care residents died in the first month of the year with COVID-19 than in the whole of 2021.