Mrs Kelly Geister is the Executive Manager Residential Services at Resthaven, one of South Australia’s leading not-for-profit aged care providers. With nearly 30 years in the sector, Kelly’s career began as a personal care assistant at age 18. She went on to become a Registered Nurse, completing her degree at the UniSA in 1999, and was among the first graduates to complete an aged care-based graduate nurse program. Her clinical background spans palliative care, chemotherapy, and nephrology, before a return to aged care leadership roles from 2003 onward. Kelly holds a Master of Health Service Management, and a Master of Business Administration. Since joining Resthaven in 2015, she has progressed through senior roles to her current executive position, where she leads residential services across twelve locations with 1310 aged care places. Kelly is a passionate advocate for quality care, workforce innovation and creating meaningful employment pathways for future generations.
Future Workforce Now: Engaging Junior Staff to Transform Aged Care Dining Services
In 2024, Resthaven identified a persistent pattern of vacant afternoon pantry shifts, of two to three hours, across its residential homes. These shifts are critical, ensuring residents receive a hot, well-presented evening meal, yet the number of vacancies risked inconsistent service or costly agency reliance.
Recognising the opportunity to create meaningful employment for young people while addressing an operational challenge, Resthaven launched a junior staff recruitment initiative. The campaign targeted school-aged applicants aged 16 to 19 through local Facebook groups, Careers Expo, school visits, and online information sessions hosted by senior managers. Interest grew rapidly, with almost 200 students attending the first sessions.
Two years on, the initiative has moved from a single campaign to an established recruitment pathway. A second targeted campaign in May 2026 delivered 35 interviews and 29 placements across metropolitan and regional homes. Since June 2024, 168 young people have started in the hospitality role, 59 in 2024, 50 in 2025 and 59 so far in 2026, 108 of them are aged 17 or younger and still at school, and one in five of these young men. Retention stands at 64 per cent, with 102 young employees still employed across all Resthaven residential homes today.
Tailored strategies support the unique needs of this workforce. These include modified interview processes, corporate induction delivered during school holidays, a dedicated junior induction session, and weekend training covering the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), dining excellence, and regulatory compliance. A buddy system provides on-the-job support and builds confidence through onboarding, with site coordinators now accountable for site induction and buddy shift scheduling.
The initiative has attracted wider interest, including a feature interview on ABC Radio, and has proven highly effective in working towards solving a long-standing staffing issue. Just as importantly, it has fostered youth engagement in the aged care sector, introducing early career pathways in a field facing increasing workforce shortages.
This presentation offers a practical, replicable framework, now tested across two recruitment cycles, for other aged care providers facing similar recruitment challenges. It demonstrates that with flexible onboarding and meaningful support, young people can play a vital role in the delivery of quality aged care services, bringing energy, enthusiasm, and long-term potential to the sector.
The initiative aligns strongly with innovative workforce planning strategies, offering conference delegates a fresh perspective on sustainable staffing, community engagement, and building the aged care workforce of tomorrow.