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WA 6004 Australia
As Australia’s aged population rises rapidly, they live longer than ever before. Their average life expectancy has reached 82.1 years. This population aging has created both pressure and opportunities in Australia’s welfare and health sectors. Therefore, it becomes a lucrative option to take up career paths related to aged care. So in this article we will talk about what kind of skills required to work In aged care to get a job in this sector.
Aged care is a service given to people who have crossed a particular stage of their lives where they cannot take care of themselves. It is the support provided to the older population in their home or in any care home/ nursing home. The tasks can consist of helping in everyday living, personal care, health care, accommodation, help with equipment, home modification, and so on.
If we come down from just the lucrative and practical aspect of this career option and seep into making your passion into a profession than becoming an aged care worker stands out to be a good, noble path.
If you get an urge to help an old person to cross the road or if you are that kid who always helps elderlies to carry their bags, then a career option might be your “calling”. Also If you feel uncomfortable seeing older people struggling with their chronic diseases and their loneliness, then you should contribute to the welfare of this causality, and in addition, you get to make a living out of it!
Along with the job demand, the need for aged care courses in places like Australia has also seen a tremendous rise, although Australia gives the best courses for aged care. Most of the courses that one should opt for is the Certificate III aged care or Certificate IV in Ageing Support.
For any kind of job, more than the degree, some kind of skills required to work in aged care. Though degrees can be a great start, as your career starts accelerating, you will notice that skills are the ones that can keep you going. Aged Care Courses will basically help you acknowledge these skills that you might also presently have because they are ones that we acquire in the course of our life.
This profession is all about warmth and care. We have often heard that children and the aged have similar requirements and mindsets. Therefore, if you have got into this sector and are still struggling for jobs, this is the skill that you must try to inculcate in you. If you have had a kid, then this experience must be one that you have already been well versed with. In today’s hustle world, there is a demand for being present when required, showing concern, and keeping in mind a person’s needs.
To become an aged care worker, one should be physically fit. In order to help others, you need first to be able to help yourself. Helping aged people can be a laborious job, from supporting them to walk on frames to help them go to the toilet. Aging caregivers, especially those who wish to do service at home, might also have to aid in household chores.
Jobs where social supervision and protection are required, need a lot of multitasking. Managing time and scheduling things according to the assigned time becomes a hectic situation. However, it is fulfilling once done. Each job will be different during the day, and even within an hour, you might have to take care of multiple things depending on the populace of your aged care home.
It has been said that communication is one of the most important skills one can require for a successful life. Although it is very difficult to initiate topics that they like or decode the old ones, it is very important to do so. Communication aids in informing needs and requirements and improves building connections and relationships, which will eventually make your client happier and more involved.
Following good communication skills, one should also have good listening skills. Deciphering what the aged people are saying their calls are an important yet tasking skill to acquire. If you can listen to the person’s needs, then in terms of care-giving, it can have a huge positive impact and difference in your life. Even though they can be grumpy at times and might not behave in the best way, you will have to be non-judgmental, calm, and composed.
It becomes very difficult to understand what your client actually means or says unless you are empathetic. Thus, having an empathetic nature adds onto your understanding of how the other person is feeling or what he wants.
This seems like a piece of advice given to us at the age of seven in school. Though cliched, this statement has a lot of weightage in this career option. When we meet our clients (i.e, the older adults) they might have come from different walks of life. They might have greater experience, knowledge, and a set of achievements that might be fully anonymous to us. However, we should keep all these in mind before behaving in any way we wish to. Some people from service backgrounds might also expect a certain type of reciprocal behavior to which you have to adhere in order to make them feel comfortable.
It is a privilege and honor to work to serve the need. Needy here cannot be attributed to financial conditions but aged people require and deserve all the love, care, respect, and treatment. After all, we all are inevitably going to reach that stage of our life eventually. Therefore, once you decide to do such a job, you can directly enrol yourself for a Certificate III aged care or Certificate IV in an ageing support course to get national recognition. These courses will give you recognition and enhance your credibility in your services.