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The Community-Based Aged Care Workforce - Part Two: Characteristics of Community-based Aged Care Workforce (including Volunteers) in Selected Countries and Technology and the Community-based Aged Care Workforce: Possible Workforce Impacts

This report presents the findings of a Departmental review of literature on the characteristics of the community-based aged care workforce (including volunteers) in selected industrialised countries and the possible impact of technology.

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The Community-Based Aged Care Workforce - Part Two: Characteristics of Community-based Aged Care Workforce (including Volunteers) in Selected Countries and Technology and the Community-based Aged Care Workforce: Possible Workforce Impacts (PDF 440 KB)

Summary: The Community-Based Aged Care Workforce - Part Two: Characteristics of Community-based Aged Care Workforce (including Volunteers) in Selected Countries & Technology and the Community-based Aged Care Workforce: Possible Workforce Impacts MAR 2006

This report presents the findings of an Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing review of literature from the Internet relating to the community-based aged care workforce internationally, including volunteers. A second component of the review examines the possible impact of technology on this workforce. The review concentrates principally on the paraprofessional or frontline care workforce which, in all the countries reviewed, is identified as delivering the overwhelming amount of home-based care services.

What does this contribute to the reforms?

This report builds on the findings in Part One and examines a number of international workforce initiatives designed to improve workforce numbers including campaigns to improve the status of aged care work, increasing the proportion of full-time or permanent part-time jobs and developing more flexible and diverse training opportunities. Several countries, concerned by the increasing acuity of care, are focusing on the changing skills mix required to meet this need.

What were the findings?

The review found that the long-term care workforce in the eight industrialised countries examined share many common features:

• the overwhelming majority of care workers are female
• many are aged 45 years and older
• care work is frequently part-time and often pays at, near and sometimes below minimum wages
• Instability in occupation, poor training opportunities, lack of clear career paths and poor industry image are identified as both characteristics of aged care work and drawbacks to staff recruitment, in almost all of the countries examined.

The review concludes there is need for a framework for analysing the factors affecting the development and implementation of human resources in the long term. Some of issues that need to be addressed include:

• skill mix, poor working conditions and the effects of health sector reforms on labour force development
• a critical need to establish and regularly maintain a profile of the community-based aged care workforce that covers demographic characteristics, wages, benefits, geographic distribution and levels of education
• training, recruitment, retention and health literacy.

With regard to the informal workforce, the review provides detailed information on the characteristics of the volunteer workforce in four industrialised countries. It advises there is need to ensure that the significant contributions of volunteers and carers are included as integral parts of the community-based aged care workforce profile and are included in workforce planning and development strategies.

The review advises there are clear indications in the literature that technology has a potentially key role in both maintaining high levels of self-sufficiency in the elderly (thereby reducing demand for direct care), and also as an ancillary to the workforce in the provision of community based care in the future.

In addition to the full report, overviews of the key discussion included in the review are attached below with the discussion of the impact of technology forming a second paper. This second paper also summaries the content of another Departmental literature review entitled ‘The Impact of Technology on the Community Care Workforce’.

What are the next steps?

As outlined in Part One a Request for Tender was released by the Department of Health and Ageing in November 2006, seeking suitably qualified and experienced organisations to undertake the 2007 National Aged Care Workforce Census and Survey.

The Census and Survey is expected to launch mid 2007 and this will be the first time that information from both residential and community care workforces will be gathered.

The National Aged Care Workforce Census and Survey will provide a profile of who currently provides direct care to people in residential and community care settings, their skills, types of employment, career paths and levels of job satisfaction.

This information will support the reform process by expanding the existing knowledge base of the direct aged care workforce and inform planning around recruitment and retention. The data will also be used to further develop a skilled and flexible workforce by identifying training requirements to ensure service providers have the appropriate skills and qualifications to meet client care needs.

Both community care and aged care sector involvement in the National Aged Care Workforce Census and Survey will be vital for its success. More information about how you can participate will be made available in the lead up to the launch.

If you are having problems downloading the PDF file please send an email to: thewayforward@health.gov.au for a copy to be sent to you.
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