Aged care volunteers ‘desperately needed’

The aged care sector is experiencing “significant difficulty” in the recruitment and retention of volunteers, a government survey has found.

Conducted by the Department of Health and Aged Care between April to May this year, the Volunteers in Aged Care survey heard from almost 1,600 anonymous respondents, including:

• 1,003 volunteers
• 339 volunteer managers or coordinators
• 225 aged care providers who engaged volunteers.

Despite the survey finding volunteers “essential to aged care and the delivery of person-centred care and quality care,” the department says help is “desperately needed” to address the decline in volunteering numbers.

According to the 2020 Aged Care Workforce Census, the number of volunteers providing support in residential aged care facilities per fortnight was 11,980 – almost half the number in 2016.

As the survey reveals, some of the key barriers to volunteering in aged care include:

• family commitments
• travel considerations
• out-of-pocket expenses
• the onboarding process
• Covid procedures and health concerns
• lack of flexibility
• lack of support from staff.

Support was sought in the form of resources such as fact sheets, handbooks, and training. The survey found 38 per cent of volunteers had not undertaken any training in the past 12 months.

When respondents were asked about the barriers to volunteer training, comments included:

Volunteers also expressed a need for regular feedback and direction, as well as more respect from paid staff.

Indeed, the survey finds that – while volunteers and volunteer managers perceive their work as impactful and meaningful – they believe this perspective is not always shared by the organisation and leadership.

While the majority of volunteers surveyed – 75 per cent – said they felt valued by the service they volunteered for, others felt undervalued and unsupported.

Volunteers provide multiple benefits to aged care homes, the survey shows – including cost savings. However, 37 per cent of aged care providers were found not to employ a volunteer manager or coordinator.

Many aged care volunteers are recruited through word of mouth, personal approaches or self-referrals. Volunteers are also likely to know someone already in the aged care system, such as a friend or family member.

On the subject of recruitment, the survey found a need for volunteers “from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences.”

As a result, the department is requesting further input, specifically from diversity groups and people living in rural and remote locations of Australia.

The feedback, says the department, “will inform the ongoing development and improvement of volunteering policy, practices and procedures” and help design strategies “to better support, recruit and train aged care volunteers and volunteer managers who are an integral part of the sector.”

Main image: volunteer Millie Bird clay-making with a resident of the ViTA Residential Aged Care Home in Adelaide

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