Developing a Safety Culture in Aged Care Through Training

Aged care continues to face massive staff shortages. According to a recent union survey, one out of every five workers in the Australian aged care industry planned to quit within 12 months of completing the survey. This will increase the old age care gap if new measures are not implemented.

The problem gets worse as the population ages. Aged care services are seeing a surge of new clients as more and more Australians reach retirement age. As a result, their services are in high demand, but supply is not keeping up.

How can you solve this problem with the available workforce and also attract new staff? Aged care quality of service and safety training standards for elderly care can be of assistance in resolving these issues.

Everyone in Australia feels the effects of the current staffing crisis in the healthcare sector. Here are some ways that training in quality of service and safety in elderly care can help fix that problem. Continue reading to learn more. 

Why Is Aged Care So Important?

Everybody ages. As we get older, our ability to live on our own diminishes, creating the need for elderly care.

Being an aged care worker means you're responsible for ensuring that people's golden years are enjoyable, with as few restrictions as possible on mobility or freedom.

When it comes to overall health, physical health isn't the only consideration; it's widely accepted that there are three interconnected factors:

• The physical health of a person
• Their state of mind
• Relationships and social ties that are mutually beneficial

As health care workers for the elderly, you can assist with all of these things. You'll be that familiar face they see every day. You will likely be interacting with them and coordinating various group activities.

These initiatives can help the aged maintain their social connections and, as a result, their mental health.

The people you care for benefit greatly from your efforts. As a result, it makes this one of the most rewarding jobs in the economy. Given Australia's ageing population, the need to fill these positions will only get more critical as time goes on. The need for aged care workers is expected to increase substantially in the next few years.

Aged Care Compliance Standards With Health and Safety

The residents cannot care for themselves and require assistance, making care homes a challenging and demanding job environment. Let's look at how to handle nursing homes and the health and safety concerns that arise around aged care.

Aged care workers face the chance of harm and injuries because of the particular risks in caring for the aged. Resulting accidents can cause:

• Medical bills
• Loss of work time and productivity
• Increased insurance premiums
• Claims for compensation
• Damage to property
• Damage to your reputation and good name 

No facility that provides elderly care can afford to ignore workers' health and safety if they care about their employees, their reputation, or their bottom line.

If you need a reason to prioritise your aged care facility's health and safety, consider the Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011, which requires all employers to ensure worker safety.

A risk assessment is required to manage health and safety in aged care. An assessment of the potential dangers and threats that exist on a property to personnel, clients, or members of the general public is known as a risk appraisal.

How Aged Care Quality and Safety Training Can Attract New Staff

With a shortfall of aged care workers and a projected need for more, it is critical to be able to recruit aged care workers to the job and the facility. However, attracting competent aged care workers who are enthusiastic and reliable can seem impossible.

So we must place ourselves in their shoes and ask ourselves, "What would I look for in an aged care job?"

Focusing on the problem through that different lens can reveal areas that need improvement that may be simple to address. Let's look at how you can attract a motivated, new workforce.

The following suggestions will help the industry prepare for the future by addressing the staffing crisis and strengthen the aged care sector for everyone’s benefit.

Social Change to More Positive Attitudes

This movement is aimed at changing people's negative thoughts about getting older. This is because rethinking care is a social challenge. Over time, there needs to be a workforce and industry campaign that considers these ideas and promotes job opportunities in the elderly care industry.

Code of Conduct Aged Care Compliance

A code of conduct for aged care compliance will help the industry define its:

• Promise to consumers
• Workers’ standards
• Quality and safety commitments of workers

A code would emphasise consumer needs, and attracting and retaining committed, high-quality staff.

Skilled Workforce

Aged care workers want to know that their employer is committed to providing ongoing training and education so that they can provide the best possible care. This training must be available to all employees, regardless of individual circumstances, so that employees can participate without any barriers. Consider digital literacy, and provide additional assistance as needed.

These employees are hardworking, often selfless people who want to give the best care possible to the vulnerable people in their charge.

By introducing aged care support worker training, the focus will be on job structure, which includes:

• Career planning
• Roles in the workplace
• Room for advancement
• Increasing knowledge and abilities through formal and informal learning
• Modernisation and reshaping of vocational education, which may include higher education

Diverse job opportunities benefit an adaptable workforce, which may include integrated roles. Redefined expertise and qualifications, competency-based recognition, and longer career paths are linked to an industry standard for worker accreditation.

How Aged Care Worker Training Can Retain and Recruit Staff

Aged care workers need to know that their employer is committed to providing ongoing education and training to provide the best care possible. In addition, attracting and retaining staff, and fostering a positive work environment are all made possible by increasing employee engagement and empowerment. 

Ideally, there should be no barriers to participation in this training for all employees, irrespective of their circumstances. 

And there should be an equal emphasis on:

• Replicating successful business models
• Providing students with meaningful work placements
• Implementing targeted strategies for particular demographics, such as young people and employees from underrepresented groups.

These actions will aid in the recruitment and retention of the right people, as well as the retention of valuable skills and talent.

Consider digital literacy, such as residential aged care software, and provide supplemental assistance as needed.

These improved aged care training and recruitment methods can impact how care is provided and when it is available because of greater skills and competencies. 

Providing Variety in the Place of Work

Aged care doesn’t require a cut-and-dried approach, with professionals providing a variety of care types such as:

• Residential care
• Primary care
• Acute care
• Community care

Where appropriate, implementing a variation in staff members' day-to-day work will improve job diversity and workplace happiness and will assist in them meeting personal goals.

This also promotes the quality of life and health of older people, who may be reliant on staff because of the stage of life they are at.

Showing Your Staff That You Consider Their Safety

In the context of the current environment, it is of the utmost importance to openly demonstrate how your company prioritises the safety of its health care workers and the people they care for. Providing things such as:

• Personal protective equipment
• Immunisations
• Air purifiers
• Alarm systems
• Locked doors after hours

It's the little things that count. These will go a long way to show that you care and will encourage staff to want to remain with you and to consider aged care as a career, not just a job.

Taking Care of the Wellbeing of Your Aged Care Workers

An inviting quality in an elderly care facility demonstrates genuine and ongoing support on an emotional level. All staff members want to feel that those in leadership positions have heard them and value their contributions. This includes a variety of staff, such as:

• Personal care assistants
• Support workers
• Enrolled nurses
• Registered nurses

By being present and fostering open lines of communication, Residential Facility Managers, Area Managers, and Regional Managers can positively impact the mental health of their staff.

It is possible to lay the foundation for a positive, open workplace that is highly regarded and desired by promoting the use of apps. These apps encourage participation in well-being sessions, and require employees to complete annual evaluations.

Take Care of Your Aged - You Will Be There Too One Day!

There are numerous tasks and requirements to meet workplace aged care quality and safety. While laws define how establishments must comply with safety requirements, ensuring that all of them are followed and adhered to is another story.

Are you looking for a quick and cost-effective way to bring your aged care facility up to date with various required codes and standards? Then, meet with us today! We have been developing simple online skills training solutions since 2000.