The Knowledge and Implementation Hub team undertook a desktop environmental scan to find useful resources to help address aged care workforce retention challenges. These resources explore the key factors that influence why aged care staff stay or leave and outline strategies that may help improve retention. The collection brings together reports, guides, fact sheets, online tools, training programs, and government updates — all focused on supporting the aged care workforce and helping organisations create better places to work.
They are now available in the Resource Collection of the Hub.
What we did
In June 2025, we conducted structured searches using the Advanced Search version of Google and targeted searches of relevant organisational websites. We also consulted the ARIIA Sector Reference Group and Expert Guest Members to suggest resources to add to our Resource Collection.
The resources had to be primarily developed for the Australian context, freely available, and relevant for everyday practice. They also had to meet quality criteria such as currency (last 5 years), author or organisation credibility and objectivity, and content accuracy.
What we found
In total, we identified 109 Australian workforce retention resources in various formats such as reports, articles, webpages, policy documents, podcasts, webinars, e-learning materials, videos, or blogs.
The main topics covered by the resources are aligned with the findings of the review, and they are:
- Strategies for retention, such as long-term planning and professional development, improving pay conditions and workforce reforms,
- Training and mentoring staff members,
- Resources highlighting the importance of leadership and workplace culture in making people stay in their jobs, and
- Resources ensuring staff wellbeing.
The resources varied in nature and were included based on the extent to which they offer ready-to-use strategies that can be used by managers, leaders and service providers, healthcare professionals and aged care workers, and researchers, educators and policymakers.
- For managers, leaders and service providers, resources were about workforce planning, building a positive culture, supporting staff wellbeing, meeting regulatory changes and leadership development.
- For health professionals and aged care workers, resources were about capacity building or mentoring programs, as well as supporting mental health and wellbeing.
- For researchers, educators and policymakers, resources were about upskilling the sector and working with job seekers, including in the aged care sector.
This summary report outlines the process used to identify resources that educate, inform, and equip the aged care sector in enhancing workforce retention. Some resources are descriptive and informative in nature, and some offer highly practical or step-by-step guidance for direct application. However, all are linked by a common goal: to help make aged care a better place to work.
Keeping the collection current
The Knowledge and Implementation Hub team will repeat the scan process at scheduled intervals to ensure the resource content for staff retention in aged care remains current.