Job Preferences of Aged Care Workers in Australia: Results from a Discrete Choice Experiment

Mavromaras, Kostas; Isherwood, Linda; Mahuteau, Stéphane; Ratcliffe, Julie; Xiao, Lily Dongxia; Harrington, Ann; Zhang, Wei

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4244418

Cited by 19 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Where possible, scores on measures were interpreted based on comparison to quasi‐normative data. Demographics, organisational characteristics and occupational measures were compared with data from an Australian aged care workforce survey 2 . Data about the health and well‐being of the Australian aged care workforce are not routinely collected so health domains were compared with data for the Australian adult population (Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey) 29 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aged care work is physical, relational and emotional in nature. This means that the psychological and physical health and well‐being of workers impacts upon their capacity to undertake the work and likely influences quality of care 2 . Their health and well‐being may also be impacted by their work 2 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This means that the psychological and physical health and well‐being of workers impacts upon their capacity to undertake the work and likely influences quality of care 2 . Their health and well‐being may also be impacted by their work 2 . Understanding the physical health and psychological well‐being of aged care workers currently engaged in education programs is important to inform interventions aimed at supporting and developing the workforce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The strategy recognises both the physical and psychological risks associated with work, with musculoskeletal and mental health disorders being the top workplace health prevention priorities. These are clearly areas requiring attention in Australian aged care settings because almost all work injury or illness incidents relate to ‘sprain or strain’, ‘chronic joint or muscle condition’ and ‘stress or other mental condition’ 2 . Annually, 6% of work compensation claims in Australia involve mental health conditions with welfare and community workers making up 10% of compensated mental health claims 4…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aged care workers are recognised to be at risk of poor levels of participation in physical health‐promoting behaviours due to lack of time, access to facilities, social support and financial resources 5 . Limited job resources are common 6 but overall, industry reports show workers self‐report good general health, with less than 10% of nurses, personal care assistants and allied health workers reporting that their health is fair or poor 2 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The precarious resilience of aged care employees enrolled in an Australian online dementia course: A cross‐sectional study of occupational health and well‐being

et al. 2022

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Objective: Australian aged care workforce surveys offer limited information about those who engage in online dementia education regarding their occupational health and well-being. A salutogenic approach was applied to an aged care context to quantitatively assess both positive and negative aspects of health at work to inform the development of workplace interventions tailored to those interested in self-development.Methods: Physical, psychological and occupational health were measured in an online cross-sectional survey of general health, chronic conditions, psychological distress, positive and negative affect, job satisfaction, access to workplace amenities and turnover intentions of aged care workers undertaking an online dementia course in October 2014.Results: Participants (N = 662) rated their general physical health as good and a minority experienced chronic conditions such as obesity. Overall, workers had average levels of positive and negative affect and low distress. However, 25% were likely to have a mental health condition. While most were employed on a permanent basis (80%) and reported moderate job satisfaction, 18% were likely to leave their job. There were some gaps in workplace amenities to support health and well-being: for example, 13% reported no access to lunch break areas. Conclusions:Results suggest precarious resilience in aged care workers enrolled in an Australian online dementia course. Workplace interventions that focus on preventative health strategies are required to address the health risks associated with higher than national averages of obesity and mental health, and reduce exposure of workers to physical and psychological harms.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The precarious resilience of aged care employees enrolled in an Australian online dementia course: A cross‐sectional study of occupational health and well‐being

et al. 2022

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See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil: The grey literature and Australia's failure to address change in the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Gilchrist

Perks

2023

Aust J Social Issues

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The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) represents a social reform of a magnitude unseen in Australia. The Scheme's significant scope for impact warrants that proper performance evaluation is undertaken, that stakeholder interactions are collaborative and that the scheme is outcome driven. This article reviews a selection of grey literature to gain insights into the persistence of challenges facing the Scheme, as well as how the policy discourse has developed between 2011 and 2020. Our review finds that key issues related to the Scheme's effectiveness and sustainability have been persistent and repeatedly documented by stakeholders. Furthermore, we find that, had the grey literature been heeded, the current and predictable challenges facing the NDIS could have been mitigated at least to some extent. Our contribution here is to renew scholarly vigour toward the Scheme by canvassing its challenges as identified by commentators, policymakers and the industry itself and to focus attention on the capacity for this literature to predict and describe potential and extant problems as well as providing mitigations. By extension, we provide a catalogue of these challenges while showcasing the value of grey literature as one source of triangulating evidence in informing policy evaluation.

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NDIS partnership working? Paradoxes, contested spaces and aspirations of disability leaders, family carers and disability services

David,

Johnson,

Ramcharan

2023

Aust J Social Issues

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In 2022, a new Federal Labor government introduced an NDIA Act amendment and initiatives that indicate a reorientation to partnership working and integration of co‐design principles. “Partnership working” reflects collaborative aspirations where parties commit to trust, shared goals and respect for diverse knowledges and experiences. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) espouses a partnership approach and rights‐based values, yet the neoliberal emphasis on individual choice and marketisation within a social insurance model can privilege certain voices and produce adversarial processes and dynamics. Our focus group research with disability leaders, family carers and disability service professionals explored experiences in the NDIS planning phase with a focus on the extent to which partnership principles operated in practice. Our findings suggest embedded paradoxes; time and resources are required to build the trust and relationships central to interpersonal partnerships between individuals, carers and services but are undermined by organisational and structural factors such as workload pressures, administrative burden and adversarial practices produced in a cost containment context. Tensions in partnership working must also negotiate carers' workload and responsibilities with the autonomy of people with disability. We argue that partnership working is difficult to achieve where structural and systemic limitations and assumptions influence everyday practices. Partnership must operate from empowerment and relational, rather than transactional, principles if genuine participatory and inclusive practice is to be achieved.

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Job Preferences of Aged Care Workers in Australia: Results from a Discrete Choice Experiment

Cited by 19 publications

References 3 publications

The precarious resilience of aged care employees enrolled in an Australian online dementia course: A cross‐sectional study of occupational health and well‐being

The precarious resilience of aged care employees enrolled in an Australian online dementia course: A cross‐sectional study of occupational health and well‐being

See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil: The grey literature and Australia's failure to address change in the National Disability Insurance Scheme

NDIS partnership working? Paradoxes, contested spaces and aspirations of disability leaders, family carers and disability services

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