The rising role of cleaners in aged care

An elevated aged care cleaning profession can better serve residents and other facility staff, writes Errol Goldberg.

An elevated aged care cleaning profession can better serve residents and other facility staff, writes Errol Goldberg.

Cleaners may be among the more undervalued workers in an aged care facility, but they are increasingly playing a crucial role.

Cleaning specialist John Taylor, an industry veteran who has been involved in aged care cleaning throughout his lengthy career, says many aged care facility cleaners do more than simply clean.

They often end up playing the role of friend and confidant to residents, who may be reluctant to interrupt busy nursing staff but happy to share useful information with their cleaner, who can then pass it on to care staff, he says.

Likewise, the simple act of aged care cleaners listening to aged care residents can provide a healing effect.

Like the general Australian population, it is well recognised that the cleaning workforce is ageing. A 2016 survey into Australia’s aged care workforce found the average age of a residential aged care employee was 46, but the average age of cleaning staff is estimated to be in their mid-50s.

While maturity can be an advantage, having older workers involved in cleaning has potential implications for the bottom line, including the higher risk of injury. As people age, they are more susceptible to certain injuries and they don’t heal as quickly.

According to Safe Work Australia, 19.5 per cent of serious claims in 2014-15 were made by workers aged 55 and over, an increase of 105 per cent from 2000-01.

“Aged care cleaners are less transient than cleaners in other sectors.”

However, many long-serving aged care employees first entered the industry via cleaning roles. And while they may be ageing themselves, today’s cleaners are an important part of the future of the aged care industry.

They are experts who will shape the aged care leaders of tomorrow, so they should be protected and encouraged to stay in the industry for as long as possible via training opportunities and equipment that helps them to be more productive.

This greater risk can affect bottom-line operating costs for an aged care facility via an increase in Worker’s Compensation insurance premiums. Add to that the cost of return-to-work programs and absences, which can be expensive and also interrupt day-to-day operations in aged care.

It’s also worth noting that aged care cleaners are less transient than cleaners in other sectors. Cleaners in the aged care sector often stay in their roles for many years as a result of taking pride in their job and caring deeply about the residents.

But with an ageing workforce, it is also increasingly difficult to attract new workers to cleaning in the aged care sector. Cleaning overall suffers from a poor image and it can be hard for the sector to compete for skilled workers when wage increases are very modest.

According to John Taylor, because of their vast experience and long tenure, mature workers in aged care are sometimes reluctant to adopt new work methods when they are introduced.

There are many ways the aged care cleaning profession can elevate itself – more training, better quality equipment and use of new technology.

The challenge for aged care operators or operations managers is getting cleaners to embrace new work methods or bringing cleaners together in a central location to attend training.

Despite the reticence, there are obvious benefits to embracing new equipment and methods.

Challenges of ageing residents

The Federal Government’s GEN Aged Care Data tells us that over the last 10 years entry to aged care has tended to take place later in life. This means that a higher proportion of residents now have acute healthcare needs, including an increase in the incidence of dementia.

As a consequence, the aged care industry is looking for ways to manage an increasingly complex set of needs that will likely also call for new approaches to cleaning.

The challenge lies in addressing all these emerging needs without adding operational costs, at a time when the media spotlight is highly-focused on issues such as the neglect of aged care residents, care costs, quality and transparency.

The aged care sector also has specific cleaning challenges around dementia and poor mobility.

The efficient operation of aged care facilities will continue to offer challenges to the cleaning industry as the Australian population ages and the baby boomer generation moves into aged care over the coming decades.

The challenge is to elevate the professionalism of the industry to better serve the customers and workers.

Errol Goldberg is managing director of Pall Mall, which provides specialist accessories for the commercial and industrial cleaning sectors to distributors and wholesalers.

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4 thoughts on “The rising role of cleaners in aged care

  1. Thank you for bringing light to the cleaning workforce, much underrated and devalued in the sector. Same for the cleaning workforce in hospitals and shopping centres. Perhaps entry at this level for young people should be offered as a pathway to other aspects of aged care work, where people want to create a career. Perhaps ‘cleaners’ could be offered subsidized study so that they see career options, should they choose. Our sector needs to value the diversity of its workforce not just CEOs and other management. The ‘listening’ skills and connection people bring could make a huge difference to an older person. Let’s celebrate our sector’s cleaning staff!

  2. Huge Applause for Cleaning Staff. I adore our cleaning staff – they are a god send in alerting all to a person who is going through a rough time or they see a potential risk, or spending time with an elderly person providing socialisation and a chat – which can never ever be undervalued. We have residents who know the routine and schedule – and yes even people living with Dementia – who will go to their room so they can have a chat. They are truly part of the team and those that do not see it that way need to wake up. Agree with Caroline Romeo – celebrate what people who keep homes clean not only for residents but for staff too!!!

  3. Under new Standards some Aged care facilities are finding not enough funding available to deliver expected care. They are looking at cleaning staff to take on some personal care roles, examples protected meal times transportation of Residents. No extra hours offered to complete these duties. This is driving cleaners away from the industry as they just want to clean

  4. The questions and answers in this blog would be relevant to domestic and commercial cleaners, school cleaners, cleaners in hospitality and cleaning supervisors.

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