Bertie: Better lives for residents through innovative education

BERTIE training supports both clinical and non-clinical staff working in residential aged care to recognise and manage early signs of deteriorating health.

In response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing provided PHNs dedicated funding to build capacity and capability within the residential aged care home (RACH) sector to support residents to access appropriate and timely healthcare.

The project was led by Murray PHN and co-funded by all six Victorian PHNs. Through engagement with key stakeholders to ensure key concerns were met, and further consultation with the aged care sector, a training and education package has been developed to support the residential aged care home workforce to increase awareness and management of deteriorating conditions in residents.

Named BERTIE - Better lives for residents through innovative education - this comprehensive package of self-paced learning modules combines a short and engaging video with a downloadable summary sheet and three-question quick quiz to confirm understanding. Each topic will refer to one of three case studies, and/or have been peer reviewed by an aged care industry expert, aged care resident and/or First Nations clinician. The training package is not mandatory for RACH staff to complete.

BERTIE is free to all residential aged care workers in Australia, and is accessible via the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s ALIS platform here.