Who cares for the caring professionals?
Healthcare and community sector professionals are the backbone of our community. But too often, they’re being asked to absorb the impossible.
The past few years have seen unprecedented pressures on those of us working in this sector. Since covid it has felt relentless, although a significant amount of that stress comes from natural disasters, flood, bushfire, drought and the pandemic, a far too large contributor to the stress on our workforce is coming from reductions in funding and systemic pressures.
The recent 2024-25 Annual Price Review by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is a case in point. It has sent another wave of concern through our sector. Another year of frozen therapy supports and proposed cuts to travel claims. Growing financial pressure on services already stretched to their limits.
This announcement has sparked outrage throughout the allied health community about the impact of this decision on those working with NDIS participants and the people who rely upon it.
For many of us, this announcement also feels deeply disconnected from the lived realities of providing care and running a practice where high quality support for participants and your team is prioritised and valued.
Last year, I wrote a book to address the systemic pressures that are increasingly impacting allied health professionals. This book considers many issues that continue to be relevant to this recent announcement. Caring Costs- Addressing the cost of caring in healthcare recognises that while you can’t out-resilience a toxic system, it is possible to make choices to care for ourselves and our teams even when we feel the systems and decision makers around us are letting us down.
This is not about pretending things are okay, but rather it is about making choices that protect your wellbeing alongside running or managing a practice, supervising and supporting colleagues and potentially participating in advocacy work occurring at this time. Without a thriving, supported workforce, the quality of care diminishes - which in turn affects clients, families, and the broader community.
Alongside, writing the book, I also designed a series of associated FREE webinars where I discuss a range of practical strategies for setting effective boundaries, building sustainability and navigating moral injury and the impact that challenging systems have on our well being
Both the book and webinars are free and can be accessed on my website here. Please share these supports and resources with your colleagues.
Collective advocacy matters
AHPA, allied health member organisations and individual allied health providers have been voicing significant concerns around the impact of these pricing measures to the longer term sustainability of the NDIS as well as the impact on the well being of providers, leaders, and practice owners.
Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) has joined peak bodies and organisations across Australia, including Disability Intermediaries and National Disability Services, and are calling on the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and the government to take urgent action to create a better NDIS. To join AHPA’s campaign see https://www.4abetterndis.com.au/
If you have capacity, you can also contact your peak body to view and join their advocacy campaigns.
Please take care of yourselves and reach out if you think I can support you in anyway.