Wellbeing in Homecare Study

Supporting the wellbeing of older Aboriginal people receiving home care packages who are experiencing grief and loss and the wellbeing of care staff

Project Status: Completed

Project administered by: SAHMRI

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (2021) has shown that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are not being well-served by the current aged care system.

A particular area in need of exploration is the Home Care Package (HCP) Program that aims to provide long-term support for people to stay living at home.

As the services funded under the HCP Program are the same for all population groups across Australia, it is likely that these do not meet the specific cultural, spiritual, social, and emotional wellbeing needs of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is necessary to also understand the workforce needs of program staff delivering care under the HCP in optimising the social and emotional wellbeing of their clients and themselves.

Key goals

To understand the types of services required to support social and emotional wellbeing from the perspective of older Aboriginal people receiving services under the Homecare Package Program;
To determine workforce training supports that Homecare Package Program staff require to meet the wellbeing needs of their clients;
To identify improvements required in the HCP Program that meet the social and emotional wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

As part of this project community members receiving aged care services shared their insights into wellbeing, healthy ageing and aged care.