YOUR Side, an aged and home care provider based in Chatswood, has released an “In Conversation” video series featuring CEO Danielle Ballantine and Tracey Spicer, Your Side Ambassador and Walkley Award winning journalist. The 7-part series discusses the findings from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
With no minimum qualification required for care work, the Royal Commission’s Final Report described the workforce as “undertrained”, and concluded that “inadequate staffing levels, skill mix and training are principal causes of substandard care in the current system”. It also described the existing workforce as “undervalued”, characterised by low wages, lack of investment in staff training, limited promotion opportunities and no career pathways.
With an estimated 900,000 additional care workers needed to support Australia’s ageing population by 2050, lifting the employment conditions of the workforce is critical. The Australian Federal Government’s historic $17.7 billion aged care package suggests the future of the industry is starting to look bright.
“We are actively working on lifting the profile of care,” says Your Side Ambassador Tracey Spicer. “We ask people to consider what will matter to them when they are 90 and to take the opportunity now to be part of a service that we will, at some time, access.”
The future of aged care will be different from the services today. According to Your Side, there is a strong shift away from residential institutions. People want to stay in their homes for as long as possible, so community-based aged care services will become increasingly clinical to accommodate these complex health needs at home.
As the pandemic has made people re-evaluate their careers and what matters in a job, Spicer maintains the aged care sector has a lot to offer. The work is challenging, but rewarding.
“It’s not just personal care. It’s gardening, home modifications and building, chefs, transport and cleaning as well as personal care,” she says. “It’s planning social activities with people to keep their participation up, which is actually shown to delay entry to residential care. It’s Allied Health and nursing as well. All of these roles are needed to support our ageing population, and there is good rewarding work in that.”
It’s a career that is a lot less vulnerable to automation than other roles currently perceived as high skill, as it centres on human connection.
“We are in people’s homes, delivering very personal services,” says Your Side CEO Danielle Ballantine. “For example, people want meals that suit their palate, outings to places that are meaningful for them like a particular church, and may experience loss of second languages with dementia symptoms.”
Having a diverse workforce is essential to accommodate the ageing community’s differing needs and care expectations. The team at Your Side speaks 32 languages and possesses particular skills or knowledge unique to their community.
As the industry evolves into new models of care within the community, there is a chance to specialise, understand dementia, progress into nursing, or become a specialist in emerging aged care technologies. As the skills within the workforce improve and develop, so will the care of the community.
To find out more about Your Side, call 1300 134 332 or email customercare@yourside.org.au.