It’s a good time to start thinking about a career in the aged care sector. The need for aged care workers is only on the upward trend.

A safe and dependable career choice for many years to come, research statistics out of McCrindle have projected the need of 77,976 new aged care workers to the sector within the next 10 years. That’s a significant amount of staff and employment opportunities.

Yet while the need will be great there are elements to be thought through and digested before applying for a position in aged care. In order to understand the best fit when it comes to you and a caring career, it is to those that have served long and loved it that we should turn our gaze to.

There are some truly magnificent people working in aged care homes across Australia. Many unsung and unknown, they continue to tirelessly and selflessly work in and contribute to the aged care sector and aged care facilities.

In order to thrive working in aged care, and importantly, to help others thrive through your work, there are certain qualities and skills that are useful to have. Those that have felt edified and encouraged while working in aged care, despite the incredible demands upon their physical and emotional strength had this to say.

A Genuine Soft Spot For The Elderly

Many of us have an innate respect for seniors but have you ever found yourself wanting to know all about their lives, all that they got up to, to honour them for that?

To see and to want to see seniors through a wide and deep lens is a great asset in approaching and caring for them with dignity and care.

Through acknowledging their past and understanding all their components can make the role of caring for and getting to know elderly residents a rewarding and inspiring vocation.

Compassionate And Smart Listening + Always Being Up For A Chat

Many elderly residents of aged care facilities will have mobility difficulties, health issues and anything in between. Their former life as they knew it, the one where they were independent, free and active has changed, coming to terms with this can cause all sorts of, very understandable, moods.

Yet getting to the bottom of what they’re worried about can be a difficult task. Being willing to listen and do a little detective work with your listening can allow you to get to the bottom of what’s bothering them. And of course, there’s loneliness.

Many residents, due to their dependencies and mobility issues are unable to see family and friends as much as they’d like. Or they may have very few friends and family left.

Having a sit down and chin wag can brighten their day no end. Human contact and connectedness is vital to thriving. Through providing that you can make an immense difference and if you enjoy a good chat this will bring you a great sense of joy at providing this gratefully received gift of conversation and connection.

Multi, Multi, Multi-tasking

From minute to minute, hour by hour your tasks will jumble and change about. From preparing dinner for a frail elderly resident to showering or combing in the morning routine, being able to hop from one task to another is a must. Enjoying a fast paced, completely hands on, constantly on the go kind of day then caring could be for you. If a day of work couldn’t go by without using your hands, your desire to talk, your heart and your energy tank, then a career in caring is definitely for you.

If you feel a career in aged care is for you then why see what positions we have vacant here at Autumn Aged Care.

Or contact us