‘Walking Together in Aged Care’: the co-design and evaluation of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care training program

BACKGROUND: Prior research has highlighted the critical need for targeted training to ensure the aged care workforce are equipped to respond effectively to the diverse and complex needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples receiving aged care. Therefore, this study aimed to co-design, implement and evaluate a training program to strengthen the capacity of aged care workers to deliver culturally safe and responsive care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. METHODS: The training program was developed through a mixed-method approach, undertaken using a community-based research framework where researchers worked in partnership with an Aboriginal community-controlled aged care organisation. This process included a literature review and survey to inform program content, followed by development workshops, an implementation pilot, and evaluation interviews with the aged care workforce across metropolitan, regional, and remote South Australia in 2024. RESULTS: A training program, titled Walking Together in Aged Care, was co-designed and centres the health, wellbeing and cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receiving aged care and is relevant to workforce needs. Evaluation interviews revealed high course acceptability, key learnings, and considerations for scalability and applicability across diverse aged care settings. CONCLUSION: Walking Together in Aged Care contributes significantly to the broader aim of addressing a lack of appropriate training programs for the aged care workforce delivering care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.