Identifying strategies to alleviate aged-care worker burnout: A study from two aged-care facilities in Sydney

This thesis identifies strategies that will help alleviate the burnout experienced among aged-care workers in Sydney. Specifically, the study investigates the factors contributing to burnout in the human services sector with particular application to two aged-care facilities.Burnout among carers has been a major concern for many years in health care fields. Previous studies of the issue have generally focused on examining the causes of burnout and the associated consequences. However, there seems a lack of studies which suggest interventions for the alleviation of burnout. The literature in this field has identified ten factors pre-disposing carers to burnout in the aged-care industry. In this study the factors are categorised into three major groups: fixed, moderate and non-fixed factors. To gather data to achieve the research goals, a qualitative interview approach was employed. Data was elicited from twenty-five survey participants grouped as follows: ten assistant nurses, eight nurses, three facility managers and four relatives of those in care. Participants were selected from the Canterbury Domain Principal Aged Care facility and the Frank Vickery Lodge of the Wesley Mission at Sylvania. A version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was adapted and used as a verification tool for interviews completed by those participating in the study. Major factors identified as influencing burnout among aged-care workers included: problems with facility staffing, the lack of ethics (or otherwise described as a breach of duty of care), and the unrealistic expectations of relatives. Recommendations arising from the study findings include: a review of training for aged-care workers, promotion of the professionalism of the aged-care profession, regulation with regard to the staff-resident ratio, and synergistic collaboration between relatives and staff. There are significant challenges to the development and maintenance of a healthy aged-care workforce in Australia. Although the data in this study is generated by small cohorts from only two sites, the strategies identified might be applied to those sites and have wider application potential for the well-being of aged-care workers in other aged-care facilities.