Curious about wellness and reablement?
The terms wellness and reablement can feel confusing – sometimes used separately, sometimes together. When ideas aren’t clear, taking meaningful action is hard. That’s why Keep Able is here to simplify them.
This resource explains what these terms mean according to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and aligns with the Aged Care Quality Standards.
On this page, you’ll learn the answers to:
- What is wellness and reablement?
- What are the benefits for older people and care providers?
- How does wellness and reablement promote independence in older people?
What is wellness?
Wellness means making lifestyle choices and doing activities that help you feel healthy and happy.
The state of being both healthy and happy is called wellbeing. It’s a personal experience that encompasses:
- Physical heath
- Mental health
- Social connections
- A sense of purpose
Many older people see maintaining independence as key to their wellbeing.
Wellness in aged care
The wellness approach in aged care involves support that aims to:
- Build on each person's specific goals, strengths, and capabilities
- Promote independence in daily living
- Reduce the risks of living at home
It helps older people achieve wellbeing by:
- Treating them as active participants in their care
- Supporting them to lead safe, dignified, and meaningful lives
- Helping them regain confidence and resume activities they enjoy
What is reablement?
Reablement helps older people get back, keep, or improve the skills they need to be independent and feel well. It’s related to the wellness approach in aged care. The key difference is reablement focuses on short-term, goal-based support.
It involves time-limited services to help clients reach their goals. These services aim to:
- Remove specific barriers to independence
- Adjust to changes in ability
- Build the skills needed to return to daily activities
Wellness and reablement: a combined approach
When spoken about together, wellness and reablement (W&R) describe an overarching approach to aged care. It combines long-term support with short-term interventions.
With W&R, reablement services apply a wellness approach. They involve strategies that aim to:
- Recognise the abilities and potential of older people
- Help older people boost their physical, mental, and social wellbeing
- Enable older people to live well in their own homes and chosen communities
- Maximise confidence, independence, and safety
The goal is to get clients ‘back on their feet’. This means the services should help clients return to daily activities with little or no ongoing support, or with reduced service needs.
Why is wellness and reablement important?
W&R helps both older people and their care providers.
Benefits for older people
Wellness and reablement helps older people to:
- Stay independent in daily tasks like cooking
- Stay connected with their community, family, and friends
- Delay decline and reduce reliance on others
- Maintain dignity and control
- Access resources to reach their potential
Explore more:
- Learn more about the benefits of W&R for older people
Benefits for providers and workers
For care providers, these approaches help you to:
- Uphold older people’s rights and fight against ageism
- Support and celebrate client successes
- Demonstrate commitment to person-centred care
- Reduce carer burnout and increase job satisfaction
Explore more:
- Hear a firsthand experience on our Reablement Podcast
- Learn more about the benefits of W&R for aged care providers and support workers
Takeaway
The wellness and reablement approach is a strength-based approach to aged care. It focuses on helping older people to stay independent and live the way they want.
This approach helps keep care aligned with the Strengthened Aged Care Standards. It gives aged care workers the tools to provide care that is more person-centred and rewarding.
Ready to get started? Check out our:
- Practical tips to embed wellness and reablement into your practice
- Reablement resources and practical guides for overcoming common barriers