Appreciate the aged care workforce
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety continues to review serious issues affecting the aged care sector, examining where processes and care have not achieved acceptable outcomes and where improvements need to be made. We trust coming hearings will consider the quantum of improvements and resources required to achieve these.
In his summary at the Commission’s community forum held in Adelaide on 12 August, Commissioner, the Honourable Richard Tracey AM RFD QC, acknowledged the significance of staff relationships with consumers and highlighted the importance of empathy in the care process.
He said, “The need for carers to have empathy with the residents they are supporting is so important. It’s not good having people highly qualified if they don’t have any empathy for people they are looking after…and they should not be employed regardless.”
Commissioner Tracey highlighted a critical ingredient of what we seek in an aged care service provider relationship: empathy. It is the basis of what I believe attracts hundreds of thousands of individuals to this important and good work in aged care, which must be better valued by the general community.
As the Commission wrestles with key topics, including workforce examples such as staff qualifications, skills, experience, registration, career pathways, and so on, flexibility is also needed to attract people with empathy, who will be of different backgrounds, qualifications and experiences, and at different stages of their working lives.
Currently, the average person using aged care services is generally aged in their early to mid-80s. When speaking with new staff, I mention the huge growth projection of Australia’s older old population (85 years plus), associated with the post-World War Two ‘baby boom’ (between around 1946 to 1965).
Whilst being very mindful not to assume all older individuals require a service just because they are older (and on any given day the majority live independently and are very active), the statistics indicate that between 2010 and 2055, there will be a quadrupling of people aged over 85 years. That says to me there will be a quadrupling of service needs at the same ratios currently provided, and there will be a dramatic need to attract appropriate people to work with those older people who need aged care.
Making a difference to the quality of life of people in their care is an important motivator. To attract the empathetic and dedicated workforce that older Australians deserve, their contribution must be acknowledged and appreciated. It is most important work. I, for one, salute them!
‘In my opinion’ by Richard Hearn,
former CEO Resthaven Incorporated