Home care conference explores challenges to come
People working across the home care sector are invited to register for an online conference taking place at the end of the month.
People working across the home care sector are invited to register for an online conference taking place at the end of the month.
Running over two days, 29 and 30 November – and called Change is Gonna Come! – the online event by the CHSP Conference Committee consists of presentations, plenaries and panels exploring what’s happening nationally in the community aged care space.
“It’s a conference run by Support at Home providers for Support at Home providers,” sector support and development officer for eastern Sydney, and member of the organising committee, Tim Horton told Australian Ageing Agenda. “It’s got the latest in research, the latest in policy, and innovative care.”
One hot topic of discussion will be the new, and delayed, Support at Home program, said Mr Horton. “There’ll be people talking about the new Support at Home program and looking at alternatives, or better ways to do it … to meet the challenge of support at home, particularly around technology and workforce issues.”
Workforce issues will also feature prominently during the event, Mr Horton said. “One of the main things we’re hoping for is to promote discussion around improving the workforce because the issues are complex, and we want to move that forward.”
Other topics up for discussion include:
- how to boost the skill set of Aboriginal employees
- how to help people from culturally and linguistically diverse populations navigate their way through the home care system
- how mainstream providers can deliver LGBTI-inclusive services
- how to effectively cater to women’s care needs.
“You also get a chance to hear from people at the highest level of policy, including the Minister [for Aged Care] and one of the leaders in the Department of Health and Aged Care,” Mr Horton told AAA.
An app will also allow delegates to network, said Mr Horton. “It gives people the chance to communicate directly with one another as delegates so you can take part in discussions with your peers.”
As well as practical advice and guidance, the event aims to celebrate the people working in the home care sector, said Mr Horton. “To celebrate the successes that people have made through the Support at Home program because it’s the most popular aged care program and it’s the one that older people love the most.”
Volunteers and community members can attend the online conference for free – names need to be sent to chspconference@outlook.com for registration. For all others, there is an attendance fee of $100.
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Hoping the recent wages decision will be raised. Many workers missed out as only 4 awards were given this. Aged care community Allied health workers who work directly with the elderly in their homes weren’t included. Higher wages in other areas are attracting community aged care Allied Health workers. As a result vacancies arent being filled and the elderly are waiting longer for services due to long waitlists
I am really interested in how the sector supports the mental health of workers as I’ve been a ‘care worker’ in my past life and know what it means to have unstable income and complex home conditions. This sector is so heavily female dominated. We can have improved wages, and better ways of supporting CHSP clients BUT what about the ways we support workers to have good mental health. I would really like to support workers through worker-specific mental health services. Now could that be on the table for discussion?