The Australian Government funds and regulates the delivery of aged care services in Australia. The Government aims to ensure that affordable, accessible and quality aged care is available to all older Australians who need it. Services include care through aged care homes (residential care) and care for older people in their own home (aged care packages). To learn more, go to the About Aged Care Services area in this website. Highlight About Aged Care Services on the main menu and make a menu selection.
There is a diverse range of roles in the delivery of care to older people. Jobs range from nursing to administration to physiotherapy and lifestyle coordination.
Delivering care to older people, in whatever role you are in, can be very rewarding but it takes skill, knowledge and empathy to do the job well.
The aged care and health sector is a growing industry that offers career opportunities and flexibility for casual and part-time employment. Other benefits may include tax-advantages such as salary packaging, on-site car parking, in-house professional development and peer support programs.
Nursing and nursing related roles
The aged care sector has clients with various support needs, often including frailties and illnesses. The sector offers a number of opportunities in nursing and careing roles.
Cooking, catering and hospitality roles
Like all of us, aged clients need meals, drinks and snacks. Aged clients often have specialised dietary requirements relating to their health issues or cultural background. The preparation and distribution of food in an aged care service is highly professional and meets stringent quality and safety control measures.
Services
Aged care services are delivered in the home or in a home-like environment in a care facility. There is a need to meet the requirements of daily living such as doing the laundry and the cleaning and to assist aged clients to feel good about the environment in which they live.
Gardening, maintenance and driving
For many aged clients, the garden is a source of pride and a place of relaxation. Aged care services have jobs for people who take pride in maintaining the highly valued gardens of residential services or individual homes. In addition, there are opportunities for handy-people who can tackle odd jobs around the home and for drivers for excursions and daily transport.
Office and administration
No service can run successfully without people to handle inquiries, run payroll, keep contracts, prepare schedules and check procedures. Every aged care organisation will do things slightly differently and there are a variety of roles available for people with general and specialist administration skills.
Managers and executives
Aged care is a growing industry and the opportunities for career development in a dynamic human service industry are significant. A shortage of skilled managers is anticipated over the next decade.
Volunteers
Volunteering can be immensely personally rewarding. Volunteers play an important role in aged care services to enrich the lives of aged clients. Volunteers can do a variety of things such as escorting older people to appointments and on outings, reading to those whose eyesight is failing or to provide comfort and companionship, providing entertainment, sharing skills such as computer or technology skills and fundraising.
Traineeships
Aged care services do offer traineeships, usually at Certificate III level. Services also offer professional development opportunities linked to a Certificate IV or Diploma level qualification.
