What is compassion fatigue? What does it mean for personal care workers in aged care?

Compassion fatigue (CF) in the aged care sector is likely to increase with demographic change, declining government per-capita funding and the introduction of competition-based funding mechanisms. This paper reviews the CF literature before reporting on a pilot study into the particular characteristics of CF among personal care workers in aged care. The consequences of CF are well understood but less uncertain about the nature and origin of CF. Little is understood about appropriate employee- and organisational management strategies. Much less is known about the CF of personal care workers in aged care. The pilot study reveals several distinct characteristics of personal care worker CF. This paper outlines the main features for a research agenda to address these gaps.