UA has provided responses to the Taskforce’s Aged-Care Workforce Strategy survey questions part B below. In summary UA highlights the following as critical areas for inclusion in the strategy for an effective future aged-care workforce:
- Support teaching and research collaborations between universities/higher education and aged-care providers to build supervision capacity within aged-care services; promote best practice evidence translation; and enable a greater number of student clinical placements in aged-care. Research supports such collaborations as key drivers for improved workforce and other aged-care outcomes.
- Develop an aged-care workforce policy and planning forum as an enduring structure that brings all relevant stakeholders (including government, aged-care and higher education providers) together regularly. The forum would be tasked with undertaking comprehensive aged-care workforce planning. This includes planning regarding the education, training and skill needs of the current and future aged-care workforce.
- Refocus aged-care towards preventative, restorative approaches to keep older Australians out of hospital/residential aged-care and in the community for longer. Ensure that relevant skills development and workforce requirements to implement this are included in aged-care workforce planning.
