“I’m scared of going into residential care as it is today.” What We Fear as People Who Work in Aged Care

As two people who work in aged care, there is a lot we’re not happy with in this industry… And if we’re honest, there are things we’re scared could happen to us one day too. In this episode, we wanted to get personal about what we think the aged care industry needs to do if people are going to have a meaningful life in residential aged care. This conversation is shaped by our personal thoughts and fears, but also by what we’ve seen in the sector, the conversations we’ve had with residents, and the experiences we’ve witnessed firsthand. It’s about the things we’re scared of, the moments that give us hope, and what it would take for aged care to feel like a place where people are still known, valued and able to live as themselves. **Key moments:** 0:00 - What we’re most scared of when we think about ageing and entering residential care as it exists today  6:18 - How do we design resident rooms in a way that feels personal without becoming infantilising?  11:43 - The uncomfortable reality of incontinence, dignity and what personal care can give back to someone  18:02 - Why the level of documentation in aged care could feel humiliating if residents truly saw what was being recorded  20:00 - The aged care homes that gave us genuine hope this year  27:53 - What Dane has started to see differently after a year of deeper conversations on the podcast  29:43 - The controversial conversations aged care might have ignored five years ago, and why we need to keep having them  32:37 -What the public still gets wrong about aged care in Australia  36:18 -  The things providers celebrate that don’t matter to the person living in the home at all 38:50 - One practical change leaders and care teams could make tomorrow after listening to this episode  — Connect with Dane and Rose or the Podcast on Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-mitchell-763ba524 https://www.linkedin.com/in/rose-plater-0a111a129 https://www.linkedin.com/company/time-well-spent-podcast If you want to book a free Reablement Planning Workshop with Optimum Allied Health, visit www.opthealth.com.au/tws If you’re starting to scope out your next project, get in touch with Paynters over at www.paynters.com.au