In the age where skill and resourcing gaps are being felt across Australia – across all industries – staff retention and attraction are key focuses for many leaders. And the Aged Care sector is no exception, especially with new findings uncovering new challenges to tackle.

A recent survey found that over 45% of aged care professionals are considering leaving their jobs, overwhelmed by rising workloads, mounting compliance demands, and insufficient support. For Aged Care providers, that means constant recruitment struggles, soaring costs, and a battle to maintain quality care with employee turnover.

The reality is that there aren’t enough carers to meet the growing ageing demands. In fact, 17,551 new workers are needed over the next decade. With regulations tightening, outdated systems and processes will crumble. The challenge isn’t just filling shifts – it’s optimising resources.

Simplified scheduling for easier workforce management

Scheduling the right carer with the right skills to be at the right place is a constant juggling act. Last-minute shift changes, unexpected leave, and staff shortages make it difficult to deliver consistent, high-quality care. For managers, manual scheduling is time intensive, and errors can create costly gaps in care delivery.

Technology can help aged care providers with digital rostering and smart scheduling tools. These tools are not only simplifying scheduling, but the automation they bring is matching staff availability with client needs in real-time. With this increased oversight, providers are optimising resources, cutting overtime costs, and optimising productivity through mobile accessibility features.

Providing employees with real-time data for informed care

Decisions are only as good as the data behind them. But when information is scattered across systems, care teams are left making calls based on outdated or incomplete records. This results in inconsistent care, missed health changes, and a reactive, rather than proactive, approach. It could also lead to more serious risks, with changes to care plans easily missed.

With rising demand for personalised care – driven by both client expectations and new regulations – real-time data is no longer a ‘nice to have’. Aged Care providers and clinicians need instant access to client information to provide informed, quality care. By eliminating manual paper entries, real-time data collation can reduce errors, streamline compliance, and improve outcomes for everyone.

Reducing administrative burden for greater job satisfaction

Right now, aged care staff are overloaded with admin, including documentation, scheduling and compliance reporting. It’s overwhelming and can contribute to high levels of staff turnover.

More than 92% of aged care managers feel buried under growing admin. And a recent survey showed many frontline care workers do unpaid hours just to keep up. Pressure is mounting, but automation could offer much-needed relief. With 36% of healthcare decision-makers believing it could boost retention; more providers are seeking out platforms that drive automation.

Streamlining and automating admin delivers more benefits than simply freeing up time. It also has a positive impact on job satisfaction. By reducing the number of hours worked due to increased efficiency, work life balance can be improved. Reduced admin also means less stress and more meaningful client interactions. And with better support comes improved mental health, less workload, and more job satisfaction.

With more than 71% of aged care workers choosing to work in the sector because they wanted to have a positive impact on the lives of older people, this is helping them get back to what they love most about the job.

When looking for digital systems, it’s important to choose technology that has been purpose built for the aged care industry, such as eCase. This way you get optimised scheduling and enhanced planning alongside the clinical care, compliance, reporting and management tools you need in a single platform.