Manual handling in aged care refers to any activity involving lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving, transferring, supporting or repositioning residents. These tasks are common in residential aged care, home care and community care settings and can create significant injury risks if not performed correctly.

This course is suitable for personal care workers, aged care workers, disability support workers, enrolled nurses, registered nurses, home care workers, community care workers, support staff and supervisors working within the aged care sector.

Aged care workers regularly assist residents with mobility, transfers and daily living activities. Manual handling training helps reduce the risk of injuries to both workers and residents while promoting safe, dignified and effective care practices.

Common injuries include back strains, shoulder injuries, neck injuries, sprains, muscle strains and other musculoskeletal disorders resulting from lifting, transferring, repositioning and supporting residents.

The course covers manual handling principles, hazardous manual tasks, risk assessment, resident transfers, safe movement techniques, workplace ergonomics, injury prevention, communication during transfers and the use of manual handling equipment and aids.

A hazardous manual task is any activity that requires force, repetitive movement, sustained posture, awkward posture, vibration or other factors that increase the risk of musculoskeletal injury.

Safe patient handling involves using appropriate techniques, equipment and risk management processes to move, transfer or support residents while minimising injury risks to both workers and residents.

A no-lift policy aims to eliminate or minimise hazardous manual lifting of people wherever reasonably practicable. Instead of manually lifting residents, workers are encouraged to use mechanical aids, transfer equipment and team-based handling techniques where appropriate.

In most situations, workers should avoid manually lifting residents. Risk assessments, mobility assessments and appropriate transfer equipment should be used to minimise injury risks and support safe resident handling practices.

Common equipment includes hoists, standing aids, slide sheets, transfer belts, wheelchairs, adjustable beds, transfer boards and other assistive devices designed to support safe resident movement and transfers.

Injuries can be reduced through training, risk assessments, correct transfer techniques, effective communication, workplace ergonomics, use of assistive equipment and following organisational procedures for resident handling.

Workers should follow workplace procedures and avoid attempting to manually lift a resident without assessing the situation. Assistance, assessment and appropriate lifting equipment may be required depending on the resident's condition and organisational procedures.

Many aged care providers require workers to complete manual handling training as part of workplace induction, ongoing professional development and workplace health and safety requirements.

Yes. Effective manual handling training can help reduce workplace injuries, lost time incidents and workers compensation claims by improving safe work practices and risk awareness.

The course is self-paced and can be completed online at a time that suits the participant. Most learners complete the training within a few hours.

No. This is a non-accredited workplace training course designed to provide practical knowledge and skills relevant to manual handling in aged care environments.

Participants who successfully complete the course receive a Certificate of Completion for Manual Handling in Aged Care training.