Why aged care staff need to be able to handle administrative tasks

Aged care providers will need to consider the various administrative capabilities of staff within a facility, as growing resident numbers mean record keeping and financial management will become a constant requirement.

Having a strong administrative skill base within an aged care facility is invaluable – especially close to the end of the financial year. While solely administrative staff are vital, having personnel also able to handle clinical tasks can be useful.

It's also important to understand the administrative tasks required, and exactly what education is needed.

Administrative workers should have strong skills in a number of areas, and receive continuous training.

Human resources

While dedicated personnel can be hired, having a staff member able to handle these issues as an aside is often far more cost effective. In addition, smaller homes will often find it difficult allocate funding for a new staff member, when another can accomplish the same tasks.

IT training

Something that's often overlooked in the aged care sector, IT is beginning to have an impact on the operations of facilities. While not overly complex, IT tasks often involve communicating with potential residents via email and preparing various documents.

A number of industries have also turned to IT to replace traditional systems, often with great results. For example, moving resident profiles to a computerised version eliminates the need for physical filing, and creates a database that can be searched easily.

Depending on the platform, providers can also see the mean age of residents, most common care packages and a detailed list of complaints.

Financials

If staff are capable when it comes to financial management, aged care providers can see a number of operating improvements. With personnel able to handle resident payments, taxes and other issues, the hiring of external financial workers is eliminated.

Aged care providers should consider the benefits of capable administrative staff – especially when looking ahead at future industry growth.