Will AI Replace Aged Care and Disability Support Workers?

Artificial intelligence is changing the way many industries operate. It can organise information, identify patterns, generate content and assist with tasks that once took people much longer to complete.

For anyone considering a career in aged care or disability support, that may raise an understandable question: could AI eventually replace support workers?

Technology is likely to change parts of the job, but individual support is built around human connection, professional judgement and person centred care. These human elements are difficult to automate and are likely to remain central to quality care.

How is AI already being used in care settings?

AI and other digital technologies are already being used across Australian health and care services.

According to the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, AI is being used to support diagnosis, treatment, patient support and the way health services operate. Some aged care homes are also using AI enabled technology for companionship and monitoring.

AI and other digital technologies may assist with:

Recording and organising care information.
Managing appointments and schedules.
Monitoring movement or changes in routine.
Supporting communication.
Providing medication reminders.
Reducing repetitive administrative work.
Helping workers access important information more quickly.

Used responsibly, these tools may help workers complete certain tasks more efficiently. This could allow them to spend more time providing direct support.

Where human support remains essential

Technology may be able to send a reminder or identify a change in someone’s usual routine. However, a person is still needed to communicate with the individual, understand the broader situation and respond appropriately within the responsibilities of their role.

Aged care and disability support involve many deeply human skills, including:

Building trust.
Listening with patience.
Communicating with empathy.
Respecting personal choices.
Recognising subtle changes in behaviour or wellbeing.
Responding calmly to unexpected situations.
Adapting support to an individual’s needs.
Protecting dignity during personal care.
Offering encouragement and reassurance.
Building respectful relationships with families and carers.

These skills depend on emotional awareness, observation, communication and professional judgement.

Person centred support is highly individual

Individual support is not about completing the same list of tasks for every person.

Person centred support means recognising an individual’s preferences, abilities, routines, culture, communication style and personal goals. It also means supporting their right to make choices about their own life.

For example, two people may require assistance with the same daily activity but want that support provided in completely different ways. A support worker needs to listen, observe and adjust their approach while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s Statement of Rights places importance on independence, autonomy, dignity, privacy, communication and freedom of choice. Technology may assist with aspects of care, but appropriately skilled workers remain central to putting these principles into practice.

Will AI change the work of support workers?

Most likely, yes.

However, changing a job is not necessarily the same as replacing it.

Support workers may increasingly use digital systems to review care plans, record information, communicate with colleagues or monitor certain health and safety concerns. Learning how to use workplace technology responsibly may therefore become an increasingly useful skill.

Workers still need to understand privacy, confidentiality, consent and workplace procedures. They should also recognise that AI systems can produce inaccurate, incomplete or unfair results.

The Australian Government notes that AI can create safety, fairness and privacy risks if it is not used responsibly. Human oversight and appropriate workplace processes therefore remain important when AI is used in care settings.

Technology should support safe and respectful care. It should not remove the individual’s ability to make choices or replace the responsibilities of workers and service providers.

Human judgement still matters

Support work can involve situations that are unpredictable or emotionally complex.

A person may communicate that they are uncomfortable without saying it directly. Someone living with dementia may become confused or distressed by a change in routine. A person with disability may need information presented in a different way before making a decision.

In these situations, a worker may need to notice changes in tone, expression, body language or behaviour. They must then respond calmly and follow the person’s support plan and workplace procedures.

Technology may provide information that assists this process, but trained workers remain important for interpreting the situation, communicating with the person and providing responsive support.

What skills may become even more valuable?

As technology becomes more common, strong human skills may become even more important.

Future support workers may benefit from developing:

Respectful communication.
Emotional awareness.
Adaptability.
Critical thinking.
Digital confidence.
Observation skills.
Cultural awareness.
Professional boundaries.
Teamwork.
An understanding of legal and ethical responsibilities.

Being comfortable with technology may help, but workers also need to recognise when conversation, reassurance or human judgement is required.

Is Individual Support still worth studying?

If you are interested in supporting older people or people with disability, individual support remains a highly human field of work.

The CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) can help VET students develop knowledge and practical skills relevant to person centred support.

The course covers areas such as:

Providing individualised support.
Supporting independence and wellbeing.
Communicating in health or community services.
Working legally and ethically.
Working with diverse people.
Following safe work practices.
Supporting people in aged care and disability settings.

It also includes 120 hours of mandatory work placement, giving VET students an opportunity to apply their learning in a supervised support environment.

Completing the qualification does not guarantee employment, and individual employers may have additional requirements.

Technology may support care, but people remain central to it

AI is likely to become another tool used within aged care and disability services. It may help organise information, reduce repetitive tasks and support workers to identify certain changes more quickly.

However, quality individual support is built on trust, dignity, communication and an understanding of the person receiving support.

Technology may assist with aspects of care, but trained workers remain central to providing personal, responsive and respectful support.

Study Individual Support at AIWT

AIWT offers the CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) through different domestic study options, including a 10 week fast track option and a six month face to face option.

The course includes class contact, online resources and 120 hours of work placement. Placement availability may vary and could extend the total completion time.

Delivery arrangements, availability, fees and eligibility requirements can change, so prospective VET students should check the current course information before applying.

Government subsidised training may also be available to eligible VET students through Jobs and Skills WA. Eligibility requirements and student fees apply.

To discuss your study options, contact AIWT on (08) 9249 9688 or email futurestudents@aiwt.edu.au.

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Disclaimer: The content in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Course availability, content, funding, and eligibility criteria may change. For the latest updates and full enrolment information, please visit aiwt.edu.au or contact our admissions team directly. AIWT does not guarantee employment outcomes upon course completion.