A shift in care: embedding restorative practice for independent aging

The Restorative Care Pathway Clinical Guidelines are now available to support implementation of the Support at Home program. Developed by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing in collaboration with Flinders University researchers, these evidence-based guidelines are designed to promote delivery of consistent, high-quality, restorative aged care.

Lead author of the guidelines Dr CLAIRE GOUGH, from Flinders’ Caring Futures Institute, explains how the rollout of the Support at Home program provides a timely opportunity to embed restorative care into the everyday lives of older Australians — supporting ongoing independence and quality of life.

Restorative care encourages a fundamental shift in our approach to care. Rather than doing things for a person — such as making them a cup of tea or a meal — we are challenged to do things with them. When we routinely take over daily tasks, we may unintentionally reduce a person’s capacity to perform tasks when support is not available.

The restorative care approach empowers older people to remain active participants in their own lives. When delivered well, restorative care reduces dependency on services, freeing up professionals and providers to focus on the individual needs of each person. The approach enables a more targeted, person-centred model of care.

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The Restorative Care Pathway Clinical Guidelines recommend that restorative care should:

✔ “Adopt a person-centred approach to meet the unique needs, preferences and circumstances of every participant.”

✔ “Engage a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to support the needs of each participant, their family and support networks.”

✔ “Ensure the MDT providing restorative care are educated and equipped with the skills and knowledge to provide comprehensive care for participants at risk of falls, with frailty, sarcopenia and or multimorbidity, dementia, and those who require support with their mental wellbeing, social connections, nutrition and swallowing difficulties.”

✔ “Service providers should facilitate regular communication and case conferences among the MDT to ensure optimal outcomes for participants.”

^{Emphasis original. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. (2025, May 26). Restorative care pathway clinical guidelines. www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/restorative-care-pathway-clinical-guidelines}

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To fully realise the benefits of restorative care, upfront investment in training, service design and team capacity is essential. This approach often requires more time at the outset — for example, supporting someone to dress themselves will naturally take longer than doing it for them. However, this initial time investment leads to significant long-term gains.

It allows carers and health professionals to build meaningful relationships, gain a deeper understanding of each individual’s history and motivations, and fosters trust. By placing the person at the centre of care and empowering them to actively engage in their daily lives, we can strengthen community connections and help to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

To prepare for the Restorative Care Pathway and effectively support the ongoing independence of older people, providers need to shift their thinking from a task-focused model to a person-centred, capacity-building approach. This involves embedding restorative principles into everyday practice through staff training and ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration.

Providers should invest in upskilling their workforce to understand goal-oriented care, motivational strategies and culturally responsive practices. Building strong communication pathways within teams, with clients, support networks and their families, is key, allowing more time for reflection, learning and relationship-building.

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Delivering restorative care

Start-up considerations for care providers

1. Establish a Skilled Multidisciplinary Team
2. Invest in education and training
3. Promote person-centred, goal-oriented care
4. Integrate ongoing assessment and communication
5. Enable access to supports and appropriate technologies

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While the guidelines offer clear direction on what restorative care is — guided by best available evidence — putting these strategies into practice consistently presents challenges, particularly in a sector that often faces workforce shortages and competing demands.

However, the effort is worthwhile. By fostering an organisational culture that prioritises doing with rather than doing for, providers can deliver care that not only addresses immediate needs but also supports long-term wellbeing, autonomy and meaningful social connections for older people.

Embracing restorative care has the potential to transform aged care into a more empowering, person-centred experience — where older individuals are supported to live with dignity, purpose and greater independence.

Dr Claire Gough is a physiotherapist and Research Fellow at the Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, specialising in the integration of health services and policy. She holds a PhD in Clinical Rehabilitation from Flinders University and has extensive experience in musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation.

Top image credit: iStock.com/Unaihuiziphotography