Building workforce resilience in aged care

WHAT EMPLOYERS CAN DO TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF BURNOUT

As leaders across the aged care system are aware, workforce burnout is an area of increasing concern. Its rising incidence and devastating impacts can force some of our most caring and talented workers to leave their employers, or worse, the whole aged care sector. Workforce burnout exacerbates existing challenges around workforce retention, and workforce pressures particularly in rural and remote areas of Australia.

How do I recognise the signs of workforce burnout?

Workforce burnout occurs due to prolonged exposure to workplace stress or where organisational demands are placed on staff without adequate resourcing or supports. This has been exacerbated by COVID-19 due to the high emotional demands and increasing workload.

The signs of workforce burnout look different for different people—including changes in physical characteristics (such as fatigue and digestive problems), cognitive functions (such as executive functions, attention, and memory), and mood or emotions (such as anxiety and panic attacks).

Promoting awareness of workforce burnout can help inform targeted action, reduce stigma, promote employee helpseeking behaviour, and support providers in accounting for its root causes.

What can be done at the organisational level to help those experiencing burnout?

Contemporary research shows that strategies such as workload reduction, teamwork, communication, and training are associated with a medium reduction in burnout, while other studies have found that positive characteristics including autonomy, reward, community and workplace fairness can assist in reducing the likelihood of burnout. In determining which strategies will work best, it is important to understand the key contributing factors in your workplace. Several tools exist which can help identify organisational characteristics that require change. One supported in academic research is the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (the short version is for workplaces), and frameworks such as the Maslach work life model which assists with identifying areas for improvement at an organisational level.

What can be done to help staff build their own resilience?

Aged care managers should consider the ways in which individual interventions can be offered to staff. These may include:

• Discussing individual coping strategies and support to help staff deal with a demanding environment. This needs to be undertaken in partnership with efforts to cultivate a healthy workplace environment. • Ensuring access to individual strategies including mental health services, such as psychotherapy, stress management and resilience training, and mindfulness

Continued from page 54

interventions. One example is Lifeline’s corporate training course in wellbeing and self-care. • Awareness campaigns to point to existing workplace supports, enabling both individuals and their managers to be aware of how to address signs of workplace burnout. • Consideration of contemporary digital platforms and avenues that support individual confidentiality. Beyond

Blue, the Black Dog Institute and other mental health providers offer useful online forums and tools and information about workplace burnout which can be shared in the workplace.

What else should I be aware of in proactively managing burnout?

• The aged care workforce is one characterised by a strong sense of caring, social purpose and passion for supporting older people. The emotional requirements to be personcentred increase the risk of workforce burnout and compassion fatigue in aged care (compared with other sectors).

• Often those who implement supports for workforce burnout become a key confidante in the workplace. It’s important to identify these people and ensure they don’t solve everyone’s problems and burn themselves out in the process—a key risk due to the nature of this supportive role. Sharing this load among several people in the workplace can assist, as well as resources and supports for managers and leaders such as Beyond Blue’s self-care tips for the support person.

• Workforce burnout is an ongoing challenge and requires adaptability in identifying what is working well and what needs to change. Having an open-minded approach when things have not worked well is important, as well as surveys to engage staff and ensure that the strategies that are put in place are tailored to your local needs.

Please note if you, or someone you know, is experiencing workforce burnout or any other mental health concerns, please contact your medical professional. If you are in need of suicide or crisis support please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Nicki Doyle is the Aged Care Lead Partner at KPMG and Michelle Baulderstone is a Workforce Specialist, KPMG. For more information visit www.home.kpmg/au/en/home/industries/ageing.html

CHEMPRO AGED CARE

WE OFFER

CHEMPRO AGED CARE Ashmore Plaza Shopping Centre, Shop 44/46/146 Cotlew St, Ashmore QLD 4214 P: 07 5531 1453 F: 07 5531 4834 E: agedcareashmore@chempro.com.au

www.chemproagedcare.com.au

Serving up food solutions to aged care

Food Solutions is a leading Australian provider of aged care dietitians and speech pathology services. Our team optimise resident nutrition, hydration and safety as well as assisting food services to promote wellbeing and quality of life.

How we support aged care staff and their residents:

Dietitians

Up to 60% of aged care residents will experience malnutrition. Our dietitians will combine clinical and food service expertise to optimise nutrition and good health for these residents.

Speech Pathologists

Approximately 70% of residents in aged care experience dysphagia. Our Speech Pathologists specialise in the assessment and management of swallowing difficulties and can provide support and education to carers and aged care staff.

Food Service

We work with residential care to ensure menus are nutritionally balanced, promote and support dining with dignity and aid food services to meet quality standards.

Recruitment

Getting the right people for the job is a hard task. We can help you to source team members with the right credentials as well as provide training to upskill your food service team.

Online Learning

We are passionate about education. Our online training program covers a range of nutrition and dysphagia topics suitable for clinical, care and food service staff.

Telehealth

Access quality care, close to home. For your convenience, Food Solutions offers Speech Pathology and Dietetics direct into your facility via Telehealth.