Trauma Training for the Aged Care Sector

Aged care residents and staff must often navigate complex experiences of trauma, including the impacts of COVID-19, historical abuse, elder abuse, grief, and transitions to care settings. To address these challenges, Phoenix Australia developed the Trauma and Aged Care Support and Information Hub, as part of the Commonwealth Government’s Grief and Trauma COVID-19 Response Package. Developed in consultation with aged care organisations, general practitioners, service users, and culturally appropriate care providers, the hub provided evidence-based training and resources designed to be relevant, practical, and inclusive, helping aged care professionals and families offer sensitive, trauma-informed support.

A key component of this initiative was the development of streamlined online courses, including Trauma Awareness in Aged Care, Trauma-informed Care for Aged Care Staff, Trauma-informed Care for Managers and Supervisors, and Psychological First Aid for Aged Care. These courses equip workers with practical strategies to recognise and respond to trauma while fostering safer, more supportive environments for residents and staff. These courses are now available by clicking on the ‘Trauma-informed Training for Aged Care Professionals’ tile above. Alongside these courses, the hub also offered a range of free and accessible resources, including workbooks, animations, and recorded webinars, ensuring aged care professionals had practical tools to integrate trauma-informed care into their daily work.

With over 10,000 users, 48,000 page views, and 3,395 resource downloads, engagement with the hub’s resources has been strong. The Department of Health commended the initiative’s impact, noting its effectiveness beyond the immediate COVID-19 response. Aged care organisations continue to integrate these courses and resources into their professional development programs, ensuring staff have the knowledge and confidence to provide compassionate, trauma-informed care in their daily work. While the project itself has now concluded, the hub remains active, and continues to offer access to recorded webinars, downloadable resources, fact sheets, short informational videos, and animations, providing ongoing support to the aged care workforce.

For more information and access to these resources, visit the Phoenix Australia Trauma and Aged Care Support and Information Hub https://phoenixaustralia.org/aged-care/.