Learning how extreme heat affects home care

BaptistCare partnered with Charles Sturt University on a three-year research project examining how extreme heat affects home care workers and service delivery in rural NSW.

Home care is delivered where people live, often across long distances and in conditions that cannot always be controlled. For clients and care workers in rural and regional communities, periods of extreme heat can create additional challenges for comfort, wellbeing, travel and the safe delivery of care.

BaptistCare partnered with Charles Sturt University on a three-year research project examining how extreme heat affects home care workers and service delivery in rural NSW. 

Conducted between September 2022 and September 2025, the research involved BaptistCare services in the Murrumbidgee, Mid North Coast and Far North Coast regions. Researchers combined weather and workforce data with interviews and focus groups involving clients, care workers, care facilitators and managers. 

The research explored two practical questions: how extreme heat and heat stress affect the physical and mental health of aged care workers delivering home care, and how BaptistCare can better manage the impact of extreme heat on its workforce and services. 

The quantitative analysis did not identify a consistent relationship between heat conditions and staff absenteeism during the study period, in part because of data limitations, cooler overall weather patterns and a relatively low incidence of severe heatwaves. However, staff described physical and psychological effects from working in extreme heat, including fatigue, dehydration and symptoms of heat stress. 

The research also found that care workers were strongly committed to their clients, and could place client needs ahead of their own wellbeing. Clients expressed strong support for staff safety and contributed practical insights into what would help during periods of hot weather. 

The project produced practical recommendations and sample resources that BaptistCare can draw on in future planning. These include options relating to heat policies, staff education, home-environment assessments, communication, scheduling, client information and practical cooling measures.

What this can look like in practice 

The research points to practical actions that can help support clients, care workers and service teams during periods of hot weather, including: 

  • checking weather forecasts and heat alerts before visits;
  • recognising signs of heat stress, such as fatigue, dizziness, headache, dehydration or confusion;
  • supporting care workers with hydration, cooling aids, sun protection and clear escalation pathways;
  • considering home-environment risks, including cooling, ventilation and access to shade;
  • sharing simple information with clients and families about how they can prepare for hot days;
  • reviewing scheduling and tasks where appropriate during peak heat periods; and
  • making sure frontline concerns can be raised and responded to quickly.

These actions show that climate resilience in home care is often built through practical, local and person-centred planning. 

“Extreme heat can affect both the people receiving care at home and the care workers who support them each day. 

This research has helped us listen carefully to clients, care workers and service teams, and better understand what practical support can look like during hot weather. Even small changes can make a difference to comfort, wellbeing and confidence. 

For BaptistCare, this work provides a useful foundation for future planning, especially for home care services in rural and regional communities where extreme weather can have a real impact on daily care.” 

Araz Wallbank, Senior Manager, BaptistCare Home Care 

This work supports BaptistCare’s broader sustainability strategy by showing how climate-related risks can affect care delivery, workforce wellbeing and service continuity, and how evidence and frontline experience can help shape practical responses over time.