With the aged care industry in the spotlight at the Royal Commission, we hear heartbreaking stories that are sure to take a toll on frontline workers.
However, there IS good news as a new study shines a light on the many good care homes in Australia and the staff who are proud to work there.
Public health researcher, Sarah Russell says she really enjoyed doing the analysis and writing the report, it shows what we can aspire to.
Ms Russell surveyed almost 400 workers across a range of aged care providers including managers, nurses, personal care workers, administrators and domestic staff.
She says, “The staff who work in a good aged care home are absolutely proud of their work, they love going to work, they work in a place where they’re well supported.”
Staff like Julianna Corder who has worked as a nurse at the Aldersgate Aged care home in Adelaide for 12 years.
Ms Corder says, “I just love aged care, I love my residents. It can be very demoralising hearing negative stories about aged care, it’s pretty sad, I find it hard to believe because I’ve never come across anything like that.”
She says, “I feel blessed to work where I do.”
One of Ms Corder’s residents, David Drake has been at Aldersgate for five years.
He says, “Adjusting to life in an aged care home is hard, you get attached to people, you form a good bond with them and then they pass on, and that hurts.”
However, Mr Drake says the staff make his day, especially visits from his favourite nurses.
“You’re made to feel as though you belong.”
And Mr Drake’s comments back up the many positive comments the aged care workers made about what they do.
Ms Russell says, “40% of those surveyed said they enjoyed their job, spending time and having meaningful connections with residents, with many describing their workplace as “happy”, others highlighted positives like training on the job, enjoying clinically challenging roles and good management”
However, Ms Russell says when asked would the workers recommend their workplace to relatives, half said ‘definitely yes, probably yes or maybe’ the rest said, ‘probably no or definitely no’.
Ms Russell says, we need to have transparency so the public can really see which are the good aged care homes and which are shocking.
