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Implications for the workforce
By 2050, Australia will need almost one million aged care staff (The Productivity Commission 2011). Under the Aged Care Act 1997, their education and training will be a shared responsibility between government and industry (2015-16 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997).
Aged care service providers, policy makers and researchers are currently grappling with the question of how to grow and sustain the workforce to provide aged care services and support for older people to meet their care needs in a variety of settings, including but not limited to residential aged care. We argue that the development of an aged care workforce strategy should be underpinned by a contextually appropriate model of care and informed by data about older peoples' complex and changing care needs.
Residents' health profiles
People admitted to Australian aged care facilities are older and frailer than ever before. Their average age at admission is 85 years of age, half stay less than two years, and the annual mortality rate is 32%. Around 50% of residents have a diagnosis of dementia (2015-16 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997). Hence, most residents have complex chronic conditions that require significant multidisciplinary team input from healthcare professionals with gerontological expertise. A key challenge for aged care providers is to provide care that addresses the combined biological, psychological and social factors that influence residents' health and wellbeing. Whilst traditional models of healthcare are structured on a biomedical model characterised by workforce specialisation and professionalisation, aged...