Are you looking for a career in which you will help people and make a genuine difference in their lives? If so, then a rewarding and enriching career as an aged care worker could be just what the doctor ordered for you.
Aged care workers are trained professionals who offer assistance to older people by helping them with their day-to-day activities and personal tasks, such as eating, dressing, tidying, showering, and cleaning. They are typically found working from residential care facilities or in their clients’ homes.
So, let’s get stuck into what’s involved in becoming an aged care worker, what aged care workers do, and how they can benefit from holding aged care carer insurance such as Professional Indemnity insurance* and Public Liability insurance.
Defining aged care workers
While they work in a variety of roles and organisations, aged care workers are generally friendly, sympathetic, patient, and willing to jump at the chance to support older adults and assist them with various tasks. They provide complete care and support for older adults in residential establishments, private residences, clinics, and hospitals.
Aged care workers often also provide other important services as well, such as assisting with personal care, illness management, and domestic duties.
Moreover, these trained professionals also provide emotional support and companionship, which helps their clients feel less lonely and alone. Aged care professionals also encourage community involvement and promote independence, both of which can contribute to improving the quality of life of elderly people.
Three types of aged care
As noted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in Australia there are three main types of aged care:
Residential aged care: Provides accommodation and care at a facility on a permanent or respite basis. Permanent care is intended for those who can no longer live at home due to increased care needs. Respite, on the other hand, provides a break from normal living arrangements.
Home support: This Commonwealth Home Support Program provides entry-level support at home for clients and their carers. Services available through home support include domestic assistance, personal care, social support, allied health, and respite services.
Home care: This Home Care Packages Program provides varying levels of aged care services for people in their own homes. It is targeted towards people with needs that go beyond what home support can provide. Ongoing services are available to keep elderly people well and independent (such as nursing care), stay in their home (through help with cleaning, cooking and home maintenance) and remain connected to their community through transport and social support.
The two critical types of business insurance for aged care workers
Whichever type of aged care career you intend to pursue, there will be certain on-the-job risks that you will face during your career. Thankfully, there is an easy method to reduce your exposure to on-the-job risks via business insurance.
Under the NDIS Terms of Business for Registered Providers (2017), participants are required to maintain an adequate level of insurance, including Public Liability insurance and Professional Indemnity insurance.
Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance are regarded as critically important for aged care workers because they offer protection while you support your clients. As an aged care worker, whether you are an NDIS carer, a contractor, or a sole trader, you may be exposed to on-the-job risks that may lead to a Public Liability or Professional Indemnity claim against you.
Becoming an aged care worker
To become a carer in aged care work, there are a series of steps to complete, including vocational education and training in individual and ageing support, which can be completed as part of a traineeship. You must also hold a valid First Aid Certificate, an aged care vaccine certificate, and a National Police Certificate.
Learn about aged care work, the job profile, employment opportunities, and why a career in aged care work may be a great career move for you.
Why work in aged care?
One of the first things to highlight about aged care work is that it is rich with variety. Aged care is not one single role with one single employment outcome. Rather, an aged care career can be many different things depending on what area of aged care you want to pursue. Indeed, there are various roles that qualified aged care workers can pursue in the aged care industry, and each role can require certain qualifications.
The qualifications and requirements for specific types of aged care workers ensure that they are equipped to provide a specific type of care to a specific professional level.
Understanding the support worker qualifications and requirements to be an aged care worker will help determine your career path in the aged care industry. With so many types of aged care roles available, aspiring aged care workers can benefit by carefully considering what area (or areas) of aged care they would like to focus on for their career.
Continue reading to learn more about how to become a carer, learn what do aged care workers do, and what your journey to becoming an aged care worker will look like. We’ll also dig into other key areas, including aged care qualifications, and the aged care careers that you may pursue. Finally, we will also touch on additional requirements for certain types of aged care work, and some common skills that will come in handy throughout your aged care career.
Aged care qualifications and requirements
The qualifications and requirements to be an aged care worker vary depending on your career goals. Contributing factors include the level of employment you aspire to and the specific area of aged care you plan to pursue. Here are some common qualifications and the aged care positions to which they can lead.
While there are some aged care roles in which you can provide aged care without a certificate, such as respite care worker roles, most aged care roles do require the completion of formal qualifications. Let’s look at three of the more common qualifications for aged care workers.
Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
The Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) course aims to teach students about the human body and how to support its healthy functioning. It focuses on helping students learn about providing individualised care plans, communicating with aged care clients, working ethically and legally, and practising safe work practices. It can also help students learn to support clients with dementia and comply with infection control while supporting their client’s independence and wellbeing.
This course may be a requirement for aged care careers such as:
- assistant in aged nursing;
- aged care worker;
- community care worker;
- home care assistant/worker;
- residential support worker;
- respite care worker; and
- food services worker.
Certificate IV in Ageing Support
A Certificate IV in Ageing Support aims to teach students to provide quality, individualised services to aged care clients. It shows students how to create, review, and adapt individualised care plans. It also covers some soft leadership skills that give aged care workers the confidence, skills, and ability to support their aged care colleagues.
Study units in this course can include facilitating the interests, rights, and empowerment of elderly clients, coordinating services that support independence and wellbeing, identifying older adults at risk and implementing interventions, creating and maintaining relationships, and providing support for clients with diverse needs.
This course may be a requirement for aged care careers such as:
- aged care activity worker;
- care service team leader;
- personal care support worker;
- community program coordinator;
- care supervisor; and
- residential care officer.
Diploma of nursing
A diploma of nursing can teach students the required skills to work as nurses in aged care facilities. Students aspiring to work in aged care will learn to care for an elderly person with complex needs, communicate with elderly clients, monitor and evaluate nursing care plans, manage wounds, and work in their field legally and ethically. This course covers aspects of anatomy and physiology, medication administration, and infection control. Completing a diploma of nursing enables you to register as an enrolled nurse.
Whichever of these three support worker qualifications you choose, you will be getting your aged care career off on the right foot, as holding any of these qualifications will provide you with a strong grounding in aged care and demonstrate your commitment to a career as an aged care worker.
Some of the aged care roles you may pursue after completing a diploma of nursing include aged care nurse, rehabilitation nurse in an aged care setting, and mental health nurse roles in an aged care setting.
Four great reasons why you may choose a career in aged care in Australia?
Now that you know what do aged care workers do, it’s also worth noting that working in the aged care sector and helping older Australians can be an incredibly rewarding, fulfilling, and meaningful employment path. If you are still unsure how to answer the question, “why work in aged care?”, here are some great reasons why you may choose a career in aged care.
1. National demand for aged care workers is high
Aged care is a high-demand occupation. The ageing Australian population has led to a growing demand for individuals who have the talent, skills, education, and professional background to provide hands-on assistance to the elderly. While national employment numbers for aged and disabled carers sat at 221,400 in November 2020, that number is projected to reach 276,100 by November 2025.
2. Aged care job security and aged care salary
With aged care workers in high demand, and with Australia having an ageing population, an increasing number of employment opportunities in the aged care sector makes aged care a reliable and secure long-term profession for the foreseeable future.
What this all adds up to is long-term job security for anyone considering a career in aged care. When it comes to aged care salaries, the average annual salary ranges from $50,000 to $60,000 (or $25 to $35 an hour).
3. Robust growth and employment opportunities
Aged care is undoubtedly a great industry to work in. The sector provides ample scope for training and a wide range employment opportunities. But more than that, the beauty of the aged care sector lies in its ability to provide flexibility to qualified and experienced aged care workers to work anywhere in Australia, and in a variety of settings and roles.
Whether you choose to work full-time or part-time in aged care, you can take your pick from a wide range of areas in the healthcare industry, such as hospitality, primary health and associated health, human resource jobs, administration jobs, or managerial roles.
4. Strong job prospects
With Australia’s ageing population and a rising need for more qualified aged care workers, the employment outlook for aged care workers is expected to remain strong for years to come. Perhaps you are considering a role where you provide aged care without a certificate, or maybe you are considering obtaining one of the three main types of support worker qualifications mentioned above.
Either way, you are providing a much-needed essential service for those with aged care needs, and that means that there will be no shortage of work for you as the Australian population ages.
Get your business insurance the BizCover way today
If you are thinking about becoming an aged care worker, BizCover is here to help. We can help you get your aged care career off on the right foot by making securing your business insurance easy, fast, and without the drama you may have experienced if you’ve purchased business insurance in the past.
Compare competitive Public Liability insurance and Professional Indemnity insurance quotes from leading Australian insurers online, get coverage for your business in just 10 minutes, and get back to supporting your clients.
Call us on 1300 920 875 or visit the BizCover website to learn more.
*This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. © 2023 BizCover Pty Limited, all rights reserved. ABN 68 127 707 975; AFSL 501769.
