Accessibility
Accessibility
It is specifically targeted to staff and managers who work in residential age care facilities. Our qualified and experienced program team will help with a range of issues such as COVID trauma, anxiety, stress, depression, sleep issues or concerns about drug and substance use. SWAP offers workplace mental health information and training and connection to a counsellor through telephone, face to face or via secure telehealth platform – in a convenient way for you.
Our SWAP program team and counsellors are required by law and their professional code of ethics to keep anything you share in our sessions as confidential. You can read the full APMHA Healthcare Privacy Policy as well as our Privacy Statement, that will keep you safe.
A safe space to discuss the overall impact of COVID on you, your colleagues, residents and families.
Provision of handouts and information about mental health and wellbeing.
Delivery of tailored sessions aimed to build awareness of and strategies for wellbeing and self-care.
Access to counselling options to further support you.
Provision of EAP services (if your RACF does not have a current provider).
Workplace distress
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces have changed for everyone. Within the RACF environment, there are people working from home, people now working in only one RACF instead of many, work clothes now may consist of gowns, and we all wear masks. We as a workforce have changed so that we can create the barrier to the COVID-19 and reduce the risk of transmission. The impact on us as a workforce however could mean that we experience emotions that at times can be distressing.
We may experience emotions from anger to frustration as it may be our way of expressing or responding to a range of other feelings for example stress. The stress may be because of the extra steps that are now required for a simple task to be completed. How our workplace has changed may have an impact that has increased our feelings of anger and frustration. An important fact to consider however, is if you feel that your anger is increasing and it is now moving to an action of aggression or violence, it is important that you seek support.
Anger and the workplace can have consequences if your anger is having an impact on others. While this is an extraordinary time and workplace legislation still applies, it is important that this pandemic does not define who you are as a member of a workforce.
As well as managing the different emotions that you are experiencing we are also being challenged in other areas such as the relationship between own morals or values and the choices we have had to make as part of reducing the risk of exposure to others within the RACF. We may experience an internal battle between providing care to our residents and then measuring that against keeping our families / loved ones safe from the COVID-19. We may be challenged on a deeply personal level such as with our morals which have shaped how we provide care. For example, we are suddenly asked to limit our human touch in order to avoid increased risk of transmission. As health care providers, we see human touch as a vital part of how we provide care, whether it is showering a resident, helping a resident with a cup of tea or holding a resident’s hand when they are distressed.
We are being challenged in many areas and our current work environment and this is requiring us to move in different directions. While the work environment is currently asking us to keep changing, it is important that we learn new ways to adapt and seek support.
Downloadable
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
Grief
With the onset of the COVID-19, healthcare workers now have an added responsibility for minimising virus exposure to the people they care for as well as for themselves, their families and colleagues. This is a daunting responsibility, given that the virus is not readily detected in its early stages of infection.
Added to this pressure, is the distress associated with the deaths of clients or patients that the healthcare worker has worked closely with and held responsibility for their care. Staff are also dealing with the grief of families, who due to the virus, may have been unable to be with the person leading up to and following the death.
Healthcare workers are dealing with multiple layers of grief and loss. Bereavement resulting from the death of a client or patient, working with the bereaved relatives and in many instances, due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19, physical isolation from their own families.
Some healthcare workers may also experience avoidance by their family or community as a result of stigma or fear. This can make an already challenging work situation even more difficult. Managing mental health and psychosocial well-being during this pandemic is as vital as managing physical health.
Being aware of this grief and finding ways to cope with pressure, stress, grief and loss is essential to continue caring for clients and patients with empathy and skill.
Downloadable
Telephone Support
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
Anxiety & sadness
In the RACF workplace, we have found ourselves in an incredibly stressful and difficult position of turning families away from seeing their loved one, supporting residents who are unable to socialise with their RACF friends and community, and providing care to residents who are passing that is different to how palliative care is normally provided. These and other experiences may create a feeling of sadness that at times may feel overwhelming. It is when the feeling of sadness becomes overwhelming and you are having difficulties managing your day-to-day life that you may need some extra help to cope and work through these feelings.
We may also start to feel an increase in our anxiety as we are trying to manage reducing the risk of transmission in our home space as well as our work space. There is currently limited opportunity to relax as we are being extraordinarily vigilant each moment we are at work. We are currently experiencing an extended exposure to stress and anxiety that has not had an opportunity to subside. We may start to experience responses that could be physical, behavioural or psychological. It is important for your self care that if you feel an impact of these feelings that you look at support.
Downloadable
Telephone support
Alcohol & other substances
COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of our life in some form or another. We have all had to manage dramatic change and sometimes this change has occurred quickly. The change for you as part of the RACF workforce has been substantial, as it now shapes how you interact with residents and their loved ones, your coworkers and your RACF community. We are having to manage change and how our emotions may be responding to this change.
Many people turn to something to help them cope. Some turn to exercise, meditation or others may turn to alcohol or substance use. If you are finding that your alcohol use or use of other substances such as cannabis or over the counter medication is increasing, it is important to look at what supports are available. There has been a dramatic increase in alcohol and substance use throughout the pandemic all over Australia. If you are finding that your alcohol or substance use has increased through this pandemic, you are not on your own.
If you feel like you are experiencing problems related to your drinking;
Downloadable
Telephone support
Websites
Self care
Most of us spend our working hours caring for others but are we taking the time to care for ourselves?
Do you plan your time at home or does it feel like there’s not enough time in a day?
Do you find yourself not actively engaging in activities after work because you just want to relax?
Planning enjoyment can lift our mood, provide us with routine, help us plan, feel prepared, and overall more productive in our daily lives. Its not about scheduling every part of a day, its about keeping things simple. Stop and think for a minute about what puts a smile on your face…What reduces your stress?
If your not sure where to start, keep it simple and try different activities until you find one that sticks:
Downloadable
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
Fueling the tank and feeling physically charged
Choosing food and activity for good health is a great way to:
Take control of your life, and routine so that you can spend more time and energy on the things you enjoy!
Eating for your health is not just about avoiding unhealthy food groups, its also about the way we consume food and the habits we form. You can complete the ‘Are you eating for health?’ quiz in the Australian Dietary Guidelines Summary to find out where you sit.
Similarly, there are a number of online calculators for nutrition that can guide you to the right of this section ⇒
Quick Tips:
Downloadable Resources
Tips for physical activity
Make your move! Steps you can take to better your health
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
Downloadable
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
Sleep and Mindfulness
Sleep disturbance commonly involves difficulty getting to sleep with or without early morning waking (usually around 3am) followed by a restless night thereafter. To restore a pattern of normal sleep, it is important to practice sleep-promoting behaviours during the day, in the evening, at bedtime and during the night. It is important to remember that adults are no different to children, we also need wind down routines. Consider how you put your ‘inner child’ to bed… Are your habits and actions sleep promoting or disruptive behaviour?
If your experiencing sleep disturbance, it may be worth considering your patterns more closely using the sleep diary found in the resources section.
Have you ever tried completing mindful breathing exercises, guided meditations or calming sounds as you prepare to sleep?
Try some of the available audio files on the right to see if this works for you!
Downloadable
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
Family and Child Support
Downloadable Resources
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
Supporting your residents
Downloadable Resources
BeyondBlue: Connections Matter – Helping older People stay socially active
BeyondBlue: Tips when working with Older people from CALD background
BeyondBlue: What works to promote emotional wellbeing in older adults
Telephone Support
Websites
Smart Phone Apps
APMHA acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of all the lands on which we as APMHA work and acknowledge all elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that First Nations sovereignty was never ceded and this continent always was and always will be First Nations land. We deeply acknowledge and value the strength, resilience, and insight of our clients and staff with lived and living experience. Their unique perspectives are integral to shaping our approach and ensuring that our services remain compassionate, effective, and truly supportive of those we serve.
APMHA Healthcare Ltd. 3A Nixon Street Shepparton 3631
Call us: 1300 514 811 | Fax: 03 9376 0317
APMHA HealthCare Ltd is Accredited under the following standards: AS/NZS ISO-9001-2016, National Standards for Mental Health Services – 2010 and is a NDIS Registered Provider under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
