Attracting and retaining aged care workers remains the key industry challenge for providers, as highlighted in Enkindle’s Home Care Provider Outlook Report for 2024. Similar to the 2023 report, insights from over 340 home care leaders indicate that workforce shortages continue to be a significant challenge, with 36% of respondents identifying workforce shortages to be the biggest challenge the home care sector is facing in 2024.
Many home care providers highlighted several critical challenges related to the workforce, including staff retention, turnover, their capacity to train and develop their staff, staff fatigue, and meeting the diverse needs of the workforce. According to many providers, the cost associated with recruiting, developing, and retaining staff, as well as ensuring their well-being, has increased significantly. This rise in costs is putting additional viability pressure on in-home care providers.
Given these challenges, what could Providers do today to address them? Providers must look to re-design and re-imagine their workforce strategy, with a focus on attracting and retaining aged care workers, as well as looking at recruiting and developing their aged care workforce.
One effective approach is to understand what your employee’s value through employee listening programs, which is a more holistic approach to collecting employee feedback on all aspects of their job, experience, and journey with your organisation. Providers can use their listening programs to identify and then prioritise what matters most to their employees and focus on creating a culture that not only attracts skilled workers but also retains aged care workers in the long term.
By implementing effective workforce strategies, such as employee listening programs, providers can begin to navigate the complexities of workforce challenges and ensure that their workforce feels valued, enduring the long term sustainability and success of their operations in 2024 and beyond.
Click here to download our Home Care Provider Outlook Report for 2024 and gain insights into the key priorities and challenges for Home Care Providers in 2024.