Free skills training for aged care staff

La Trobe University researchers have developed a residential aged care training program to improve skillsets in providing dementia, palliative and oral care.

The Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care at La Trobe University has developed a suite of online training modules for frontline residential aged care workers.

The self-paced multi-modal package has been designed to fill knowledge and education gaps identified by the aged care royal commission and other ACEBAC research in the residential aged care workforce in:

  • dementia care
  • recognising and providing a palliative response to care
  • oral hygiene and links to health and wellbeing.

The Victorian Aged Care Education and Training (VACET) package, which has been funded by the Victorian State Government, will have free online open access from 1 July 2021.

It targets nurses, personal care workers and allied health staff working with aged care residents but is suitable for everyone working in residential aged care, said Dr Anne-Marie Mahoney.

“This is not distinguishing between roles,” Ms Mahoney tells Australian Ageing Agenda.

“It’s saying you’re all working in the sector for the same end goal, which is to provide quality care to the residents. So this is for all of you so that you can all make a difference. It’s is also breaking down those barriers between different work groups,” said Ms Mahoney, a research fellow at ACEBAC and the project manager for this initiative.

Training snapshot

The VACET dashboard

The package includes around 20 training modules across the three areas plus a portfolio module where users can keep a log of their learning and related information such as readings and notes to refer back to.

Each module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and is designed so learners can choose their own learning journey and start and finish wherever they like.

The training, which synthesises and presents the evidence in an accessible way, is suitable for all levels, Ms Mahoney said.

“[I]t is accessible to all and doesn’t require any pre-existing learning or knowledge. It’s about self-identification of training and education gaps and then looking for something to fill that gap.” She said.

The training is online but there are complementary downloadable resources such as posters from the quality and safety commission and self-care toolkits from Palliative Care Victoria.

Access the training at vacet.latrobe.edu.au from 1 July.

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Tags: dr anne-marie mahoney, education and training, la trobe university, vacet, Victorian Aged Care Education and Training, workforce,

8 thoughts on “Free skills training for aged care staff

  1. I want to apply in this course.
    Please can you help me how to apply and what are the requirements?
    Thanks and hope to hear from you.

  2. Yep, this is just what we need to improve the standard of resident care. Now if I can just work out how to click the link…

  3. Hi. Can you please advise me on how to enrol in the La Trobe University online courses in Aged Care And their contact details. Are the courses still available?

  4. I want to be enrolled in online classes , in Aged care please help me on how to apply and what are the requirements?

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