Work-life balance and mental health support for aged care workers
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Aged care workers in Australia, long celebrated for their compassion and dedication, are facing increasing pressures on their mental health and work-life balance—exacerbated by staffing shortages, limited resources, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of recent studies and surveys point to a sector grappling with burnout, anxiety and high turnover intentions, even as public awareness grows around the critical role aged care workers play in supporting older Australians.
COVID-19’s Lingering Impact on Mental Health
A longitudinal cohort study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, tracked the wellbeing of health and aged care workers from mid-2021 to mid-2022. It found that by late 2021, depression and anxiety rates in this workforce had surged—the proportion of workers reporting moderate to severe symptoms of depression jumped from 16.4% to 22.6% in that period, while anxiety nearly doubled from 8.8% to 16%. Although these figures eased somewhat by mid-2022, the drop was not enough to restore initial levels of wellbeing and resilience.
In fact, researchers concluded:
“Burnout was more frequently reported and mean wellbeing and resilience scores were lower in mid‐2022 than in mid‐2021 for Victorian health and aged care workers who participated in our study. Evidence‐based mental health and wellbeing programs for workers in health care organisations are needed.”
Emotional Toll of Understaffing and High Demands
Workforce shortages and insufficient resources have long been sore points in aged care. In a 2019 survey by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), 90% of aged care staff indicated there weren’t enough employees to provide basic care, while 61% noted a lack of qualifications among available staff.
These challenges intensify the emotional load of caregiving. Many workers frequently experience grief and stress when residents under their care pass away. They also grapple with feelings of inadequacy when they’re too short-staffed to deliver the level of support they believe older adults deserve. Prolonged exposure to these stressors commonly leads to burnout—a phenomenon that one study links to a rise in self-reported depression, anxiety, and an intention to leave the profession.
Navigating Burnout and Building Resilience
Despite such hurdles, aged care workers have shown remarkable resilience. They remained steadfast through pandemic lockdowns, staffing crises, and fast-changing regulations. Nevertheless, experts warn that this resilience often comes at a personal cost—especially when combined with “emotional labour,” or the requirement to regulate one’s own feelings while caring for residents and interacting with families.
One recent overview emphasised the benefits of practical strategies like Mental Health First Aid training, which helps workers:
- Recognise changes in their own stress levels and moods
- Encourage regular check-ins and conversations about mental health
- Identify warning signs of burnout in themselves and colleagues
- Normalise seeking help before problems become overwhelming
Reflecting on the experiences of the last few years, aged care organisations are encouraged to give workers time and space to acknowledge their efforts, share stories, and reconnect with peers. This can help “close the stress cycle” by processing the intense events of the pandemic and rebuilding a healthier baseline for day-to-day work.
Structural Issues and the Need for Support
Although the heightened stress was magnified by COVID-19, many problems in aged care precede the pandemic. High rates of verbal abuse from residents or their visitors—reported by 86% of care staff in one survey—are sobering. But interestingly, when asked about their “most stressful” workplace issue, the majority of workers pointed to factors like “not enough time, not enough staff,” or challenging relationships with management and colleagues, highlighting systematic gaps that go beyond any single facility.
For migrant workers, these issues can intertwine with cultural adaptation, or “acculturation stress,” especially if language barriers and unfamiliar policies complicate day-to-day tasks.
Industry experts say flexible and personalised mental health support can help. One approach is small group workshops or coaching sessions that foster team camaraderie and resilience while offering practical guidance for self-care and coping with grief. Coaching that tailors solutions to the individual’s situation—whether language training or strategies to reduce physical strain—can also make a significant difference.
A Path Forward for Better Work-Life Balance
To stem the tide of burnout and turnover in aged care, observers point to the urgent need for more holistic solutions. Workplace cultures that prioritise mental health—backed by comprehensive training, adequate staffing, and supportive leadership—are seen as a crucial step. Even incremental improvements can have a positive ripple effect: when aged care workers receive the resources they need, resident care quality is more likely to flourish, and employees feel more fulfilled and secure.
As researchers, advocates, and aged care staff themselves have stressed, now is the time to take these lessons on board—learning from past challenges while empowering the dedicated workers who keep Australia’s aged care sector running every day.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
