Allied health workforce stares down shortages - Australian Ageing Agenda
Reablement has become a critical focus in aged care but there are concerns over whether the allied health workforce can keep up with demand. The new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program introduced in. . .
Reablement has become a critical focus in aged care but there are concerns over whether the allied health workforce can keep up with demand. The new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program introduced in 2025encourage both residential and home aged care providersto adopt a “reablement-first approach”. Allied health workers are integral to meeting this sector-wide requirement. Reablement focuses on an individual’s goals and strengths to help them overcome barriers to living independently. The approach also helps prevent deteriorating health. But some allied health workforces are stretched thin, with peak bodies saying shortages and burnout are taking their toll on workers. Kathryn McKinley (supplied)A key challenge lies in tracking how many allied health practitioners there are in Australia and where they are working. Kathryn McKinley, who was Speech Pathology Australia national president at the time of the interview, says while there is no database that records the supply and distribution of Australia’s speech pathologists, demand for speech pathology is growing, especially in regional and remote parts of the country. “Building speech pathology workforce capacity is essential … for aged care, education, public health and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. That means engaging the full profession working in private practice, small businesses, non-government organisations, community health, and public services,” McKinley tellsAustralian Ageing Agenda. SPA is advocating for mandatory registration of speech pathologists under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, McKinley says. “It would align speech pathology with other comparable health professions and give us the workforce picture we need to support better workforce planning. ”Michelle Oliver, chief occupational therapist at Occupational Therapy Australia, says there is a workforce shortage across many of the settings that occupational therapists work in. Michelle Oliver (Occupational Therapy Australia/Kelly Barnes)OTA is working to address broader workforce issues, creating pathways and programs to train up more OTs and finding ways to encourage the wider community to better value the role that OTs play in supporting ageing individuals, she says. The organisation is focusing on providing opportunities for students to see occupational therapy as an achievable career path, especially in regional and remote areas, where it’s hoped local students will stay to work after graduation. Another focus has been understanding the core areas of practice for occupational therapists and what pathways they need to progress – including in aged care, says Oliver. Capability frameworks for the sector and new learning and development opportunities aim to build capacity and skills. This is partly in response to recruitment, retention and burnout issues in some settings. Oliver says the peak body is seeing burnout in the aged care sector, with red tape and funding models reducing access to OTs and some government reforms limiting opportunities for OTs to support the ageing community. “We’ve seen a lot of changes in legislation that limit, prevent or reduce opportunities for people to access occupational therapists as they age, whether it be in-home supports and services or services provided through aged care facilities. And that’s something that’s been incredibly challenging for our profession to navigate,” Oliver tellsAAA. OTs are crucial for helping older people live at home for longer, she says. “OTs are critical in supporting people to adapt their home environments or introduce assistive technology or equipment to support people as they age to remain independent for as long as they can. ”The Federal Government is working with the states and territories on a National Allied Health Workforce Strategy to help address issues and create a coordinated approach to understanding and supporting the workforce. It was expected for release in 2025. Then chief allied health officer Anita Hobson-Powell told the Positive Ageing Summit in May that work was progressing with hopes of publishing the strategy later in 2026. Reablement requires support(iStock. com/Jacob Wackerhausen)Aged care providers raised burnout and workforce fatigue at Ageing Australia’s recent state conference in Western Australia. Ageing Australia chief executive officer Tom Symondson says many providers report that reablement is putting pressure on the sector, requiring training, different ways of working and more time. Tom Symondson (Ageing Australia)“This comes at a time when the sector is already managing workforce shortages, increasingly complex care needs and significant reform,” Symondson tellsAAA. A reablement focus is not the problem, but the workforce needs to have the capacity and support to implement the policy, he says. “To successfully embed reablement, workforce and service reform must go hand in hand. ”For this reason, Ageing Australia says further training is needed for workers on the frontline of reablement. “Our key priorities include further investment in training so our workers have the confidence to deliver reablement, better use of allied health to support workers, realistic timeframes to implement reforms, reducing red tape so workers can spend more time supporting older people, and finding ways to fix workforce shortages,” Symondson says. “Reablement has the potential to improve outcomes for older people and create more rewarding roles for workers. Achieving these benefits requires investment in workforce capacity and a practical approach to implementation. ”Read other stories for executiveshereFollowAustralian Ageing AgendaonLinkedInandFacebook, sign up to our twice-weeklynewsletterand subscribe toAAAmagazinefor the complete aged care picturePost Navigation