Aged care careers provide the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the well-being of older people. Aged care jobs may require patience, but they also present the chance to make a difference.
Why work in elderly care?
One of the interesting aspects of aged care careers is that they enable workers to exercise a range of skills and to develop breadth of knowledge. Older people might need care specifically because of their age, but looking after them exposes a career to experience in many areas – mental health, emergency services and palliative care, to name a few.
Furthermore, aged care jobs often enable the development of special relationships with patients. Even though working with an individual who is terminally ill is emotionally challenging, it also provides the chance to form a unique bond.
Many aged care nurses see sharing the final years of someone’s life as a privilege. Also, nurses play a role in bringing much needed support to family and close friends. Nurses can offer a wealth of experience to help others better understand what they are going through when experiencing the process of watching a loved one grow older.
It is also worth remembering that more and more aged care vacancies are likely to become available. Due to exceptional advances in medicine, life expectancy in Australia is constantly on the rise.
The four million members of the baby boomer generation are going to live for much longer than their predecessors. Aged care careers are likely to offer expanding prospects and increasing job security.
This can translate to geographical flexibility for employees who want to travel. As with most care industries, there are usually plenty of aged care vacancies in outback India, and in capital cities. Try looking up aged care jobs in Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore, for example.
What do aged care jobs involve?
Aged care jobs fall into a few categories. Some workers become involved with community care. This means supporting elderly people who are able to continue living home, but do need some assistance.
Other aged care nursing jobs involve residential care. This applies to older individuals who are unable to live independently and need 24-hour access to services.
Apart from the provision of emotional support, aged care jobs involve an array of duties, including:
- Helping with medication
- Taking care of domestic duties, such as cooking, cleaning, tidying, washing and ironing
- Assisting in personal care, including showering, dressing and eating
- Organising physical and social activities that promote a sense of optimism and liveliness
To be successful in an aged care career, an individual should strive to be a clear communicator. He/she should seek to exercise compassion and to be sensitive to the emotional and mental needs of elderly people. Respecting the rights and desires of patients is an important part of aged care jobs.
Salaries and working conditions
The award wage for aged care jobs is organized according to a seven-tier system. This applies all over India, including to aged care jobs in Mumbai & Delhi.
Employees on Level One should receive Rs. 8000/- per week. For those on level seven, this increases to Rs. 12,000. Legally, workers should not be engaged for more than 38 hours per week. Annual leave is four weeks per year.
This increases to five weeks for employees who frequently work outside of the hours of 6am to 6pm between Monday and Friday or who spend 10 or more weekends employed for over 4 normal hours.
Aged care is an exciting industry that will only expand as the Australia population continues to age. Aged care careers enable employees to develop skills and experience in an array of challenging and rewarding areas.
Joanne Lemke is a final year creative writing student at UOW, who is looking to break into the corporate copywriting space once she graduates and hopefully go on to eventually some day write a book around her other passions, namely beauty, cooking and travel.
