Working in aged care can be a really rewarding career. Not only are workers providing vital care to people who so desperately need it, through consistent and sacrificial care, aged care workers are able to bring joy to the lives of seniors in moments of deep stress and isolation. To see carers as only tending towards the physical is missing a crucial and significant element of their work.

Carers Bring Friendship

Not only do aged care workers tend to the physical needs of residents but build up friendships, provide listening ears, engage in jokes and light hearted banter and importantly are a point of real human care. Aged care work is an all encompassing vocation that demands of its participants physical and emotional energy. It is to their welfare that aged care facilities and government bodies must also attend.

Your Wellbeing Is Important

Many carers wonderfully almost see themselves as close friends to the people that are in their care. Through their work, affection and care is conveyed which is an important element to the caring relationship. This means that many carers go above and beyond what is formally asked of them. From spending extra time with residents or researching activities to do, carers will spend countless hours and effort seeking to help. The focus for many carers are the residents, while this is a good focus it can sometimes block the abilities of carers to see that they themselves are burning out, that they need care themselves. Every human needs a mixture of work and rest to thrive. Carers need rest just as much as the next person, if not more. Carers, your wellbeing is important too!

Boundaries Are Helpful

As a carer be sure to know that you have every right to gently establish boundaries.

Boundaries are necessary and useful to ensure sustained and healthy work situations, particularly in:

1. Privacy for your personal life
2. Being treated with dignity and respect
3. Being asked to help, not demanded.
4. Acknowledged an included in decision-making
5. Open communication between management and caring staff.

A residential aged care facility works best when all parties are acknowledged, listened to and treated with respect. Helpful things to think about are:

1. Being able to voice your concerns and offer suggestions
2. Feeling ok to ask for help and support
3. Accessing in-house and external support services
4. Clear and open communication between doctors, nurses and other service providers
5. Consistent meetings between carers, management and residents.