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Background and Aim: The Australian aged care sector faces a persistent crisis of high staff turnover and burnout, exacerbated by heavy workloads and emotional fatigue. Project Thrive was developed to address these systemic challenges by testing whether a tailored resilience intervention, centered on structured self-reflection, could improve workforce wellbeing and retention. Methods: This longitudinal research was conducted across 22 residential aged care villages (16 intervention and 6 control sites) in NSW and the ACT. The multi-phase intervention included leadership briefings and employee workshops on stress management, followed by a five-week structured self-reflection program. A three-wave survey design (baseline, six weeks, and three months) assessed mental health and resilience, while organisational HR data tracked turnover and absenteeism. Results: Sites participating in Project Thrive achieved a 17% reduction in employee terminations, whereas control villages experienced a 30% increase during the same period. This represented a significant drop in the turnover rate from 9.4% to 6.8%, yielding an estimated annualized saving of $780,000. Survey data revealed statistically significant improvements in resilience (p = 0.026), depression (p = 0.016), and anxiety (p = 0.044). While burnout levels remained stable, participants reported significantly higher job satisfaction and organizational commitment (p < 0.001). Conclusions and Implications: The findings demonstrate that fostering a "resilience revolution" through tailored, evidence-based interventions can effectively stabilise the aged care workforce. By equipping staff with practical self-reflection tools, providers can significantly reduce costly turnover and improve psychological wellbeing, ultimately enhancing the quality of care for residents.
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