Workforce training needs to address social and emotional wellbeing in home-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care.

Objective To explore the training needs of the home care workforce in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples receiving aged care services through the Home Care Package (HCP) Program. Methods A mixed-methods design including (1) a focus group and interview with coordinators of HCP Program services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across metropolitan and rural South Australia in April and June 2022, and (2) a desktop review of training, professional development opportunities and resources for existing and pre-entry workforce addressing the SEWB of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in aged care across the Vocational Education Training and higher education sectors in South Australia, the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, the Department of Health and Aged Care website and aged care email alerts between December 2021 and September 2022. Results Five themes representing workforce training needs were identified: cultural safety, trauma-informed care, case management, compliance with funding rules and preferred formats for training. The desktop review identified a paucity of formal training, professional development and resources within the context of addressing the SEWB of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in aged care. Conclusions These findings suggest that ongoing practice-based professional development learning opportunities are needed within organisations to enhance peer-learning and support. These need to be available together with dedicated formal training programs and practical resources on meeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' SEWB in aged care.

Aboriginal community-controlled aged care: principles, practices and actions to integrate with primary health care.

AIM: To identify: 1) best practice aged care principles and practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older peoples, and 2) actions to integrate aged care services with Aboriginal community-controlled primary health care. BACKGROUND: There is a growing number of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and an unmet demand for accessible, culturally safe aged care services. The principles and features of aged care service delivery designed to meet the unique needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have not been extensively explored and must be understood to inform aged care policy and primary health care planning into the future. METHODS: The research was governed by leaders from across the Aboriginal community-controlled primary health care sector who identified exemplar services to explore best practice in culturally aligned aged care. In-depth case studies were undertaken with two metropolitan Aboriginal community-controlled services. We conducted semi-structured interviews and yarning circles with 46 staff members to explore key principles, ways of working, enablers and challenges for aged care service provision. A framework approach to thematic analysis was undertaken with emergent findings reviewed and refined by participating services and the governance panel to incorporate national perspectives. FINDINGS: A range of principles guided Aboriginal community-controlled aged care service delivery, such as supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity, connection with elders and communities and respect for self-determination. Strong governance, effective leadership and partnerships, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and culturally safe non-Indigenous workforce were among the identified enablers of aged care. Nine implementation actions guided the integration of aged care with primary health care service delivery. Funding limitations, workforce shortages, change management processes and difficulties with navigating the aged care system were among the reported challenges. These findings contribute to an evidence base regarding accessible, integrated, culturally safe aged care services tailored to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

What keeps you strong? A systematic review identifying how primary health-care and aged-care services can support the well-being of older Indigenous peoples.

AIM: The objective of this systematic review was to identify primary health-care or aged-care strategies that have or could support the well-being of older Indigenous peoples. METHODS: A search was undertaken of primary databases including Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Papers which reported on the perspectives of older Indigenous peoples, community members and provider participants were included. Findings were pooled using a meta-aggregative approach. RESULTS: Three high-level synthesised findings - maintaining Indigenous identity, promoting independence and delivering culturally safe care - were believed to be important for supporting the well-being of older Indigenous peoples. CONCLUSIONS: As physical independence often diminishes with age, having the support of culturally safe primary health-care and aged-care services that understand the importance of maintaining an Indigenous identity and promoting independence will be crucial for the well-being of older Indigenous peoples.