From the 25th to the 27th of June, it’s Annual Aged Care Week, and we can’t wait to celebrate some of our favourite healthcare heroes with you!
To kick off the celebrations, we’re putting together a comprehensive guide for starting your rewarding career journey in the aged care industry. If you’ve ever considered a career in caring, this one’s for you!
Why Aged Care Careers Are So Important
Aged care workers don’t just provide physical care for the elderly; they’re also important sources of emotional and social support, too! We all experience isolation and loneliness from time to time, but the elderly are particularly prone to this kind of emotional distress. Thus, by offering their friendship, as well as their help, aged carers can alleviate feelings of sadness and make a real impact on all areas of their patient’s lives.
Moreover, the responsibilities of an aged carer help simplify the lives of the elderly and their families. Patients often try to maintain their independence for as long as possible, which can put a lot of strain on family members who just want to keep them safe. By looking after their residents and helping them maintain a sense of independence, aged carers improve the situation for all involved!
In short, aged care careers allow you to make a real difference and launch your exciting career journey in a rewarding industry.
Why Aged Care is Such a Great Industry
Aside from the rewarding nature of the job, there are plenty of other perks of joining the aged care industry, including:
1. Heightened Job Security
According to IBIS World, Australia’s aged care sector is a $29.9 Billion dollar industry, and its success is only going up! By joining the aged care workforce, you can feel confident that there will always be work for you in a super rewarding industry!
2. Diverse and Exciting Career Options
There are a tonne of different pathways that one can pursue within the aged care industry. Whether you want a future as a team leader, lifestyle manager, nurse, clinical educator or business manager, there’s a spot for you!
3. Feel Appreciated Every Day
Because you’ll be forming such personal bonds with your patients and their families, they’ll truly love you for all the help you provide! What’s better than a big smile from your patient that lets you know you’ve truly made a difference?
4. No Two Days Are the Same
With the diverse range of tasks undertaken by careers in the aged care industry, you’ll constantly be working on dynamic and shifting tasks. In short, you’ll never be bored! If you want even more details on what aged carers actually do, check out our article detailing a day in the life of a Whiddon nurse!
How Can I Build My Aged Care Career?
TAFE Courses
While many aged care providers offer internal pathways to aged care qualifications, you can always jump straight into a vocational education course like the ones below!
- Certificate III in Individual Support: 6-11 months
- Certificate IV in Disability Support: 1-3 years
- Certificate IV in Ageing Support: 1-3 years
Aged Care Careers: Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re still on the fence about a career in aged care, we’re answering some of your burning questions. Once you get clarification on these important issues, we’re sure you’ll be ready to start firing off applications!
1. What are the Three Types of Aged Care?
The three types of aged care are residential, short-term and home care. Residential aged care refers to the type of care that is typically provided in rest homes, short-term aged care describes temporary arrangements, and home care refers to situations in which the clients are cared for in their own homes.
2. Is Aged Care Right for Me?
A great way to check out what industries are right for you is by taking our career test or reading our article on how to know if a healthcare career is right for you. However, if you’re naturally helpful, empathetic and reliable, aged care careers would likely suit you well!
3. How do I Start a Career in Aged Care?
The best way to kickstart an aged care career is to check in with local aged care providers and see if they offer any entry-level jobs or programs. Getting your foot in the door is the hardest part, but we’re confident you can do it!
P.S. If you want some insider tips on acing your healthcare interview (arguably the most important part of the hiring process), we have the perfect article for that. Check out Infinite Care’s Top Interview Tips today.
4. How Do I Find Aged Care Jobs Near Me?
Explore Careers’ aged care partners are positioned all across the country, so try checking out their employer profiles or heading over to their websites to see if they have any branches near you.
Discover The Best Aged Care Employers
Whiddon Aged Care
Whiddon offers a vast range of career opportunities for those at all stages of their career journeys. Whether you’re after full time, part time or casual work, Whiddon wants to hear from you!
Head over to Whiddon’s employer profile and register your interest today.
Opal HealthCare
Opal offers aged care careers across nursing, hospitality, lifestyle, business services, research and leadership sectors. Essentially, there’s a job for you, whatever industry you want to work across.
Discover their open opportunities with Opal HealthCare.
HammondCare
Offering a wide range of aged care services, including dementia and palliative care, no two days with HammondCare will be the same! As an independent Christian charity, HammondCareencourages their employees to take an innovative and compassionate approach to care.
Find out more by visiting HammondCare today.
Infinite Care
At Infinite Care, their staff, residents and families are the most important things to them! Their team is not only committed to making you feel happy when coming to work, but they also want you to know that you matter.
Discover an incredibly rewarding aged care career with Infinite Care.
Bolton Clarke
With volunteering and entry-level job options, Bolton Clarke want to help you kickstart your aged care career your way! Their team also offers a myriad of exciting career pathways and opportunities to get you into the perfect role for you.
Start your aged care journey by heading to their employer profileBolton Clarke’s employer profile today!
Start Your Healthcare Career Journey Today!
There’s no better time to start your aged care career journey than during Aged Care Week. In fact, finding this article could be interpreted as a sign to take your first career steps, don’t you think?
Make the most of our healthcare and social assistance resources and go after your dream job today; a lifetime of rewarding, meaningful work awaits!
