Celebrating Aged Care Employee Day

Aged Care Employee Day is an annual celebration of the more than 427,000 residential care, home care and retirement living staff who care for over 1.5 million older Australians.

Our Healthy Ageing team is lucky to work closely with the dedicated and compassionate staff from many of the residential aged care facility (RACF) and aged care service providers in our region. This Aged Care and Aged Care Employee Day, we reached out to some of them to share their stories and #ThankThemForCaring.

The aged care workforce is varied – within the sector are nurses, healthcare providers, carers and personal care workers, exercise physiologists, transport volunteers, cooks, cleaners and administrators, all with a shared vision of supporting older Australians to age in place and with dignity. Regardless of the role they play in the lives of the older people in their care, they echoed the same sentiments around the purpose they derive from their work each day:

“The constant appreciation for the care we provide. They can tell that we genuinely enjoy their company and working with older people and how much we value our interactions with them.”

For many, meaningful connections are fostered through their work:

“As a transport volunteer, I enjoy getting to know the clients on the journey and having a chat (sometimes even a sing-along). The people are lovely and happy to see me.”

“I enjoy the social aspect and being able to chat to clients and learn about their hobbies and different walks of life.”

Working in the sector exposes many to a diversity of lived experience and a wealth of inspiration:

“Learning about each older person’s history and the amazing life they've lived already leading up to needing care, and the goals they have to keep on living even as they age. I have met boxers, fashion designers, cattle station managers, painters, artists, home makers, professionals and older people who are continuing to learn and grow through university study and beyond.”

“I once had a client who was blind and in a wheelchair. She would call me her pocket-rocket, saying I was always there for her when she needed. She would think of something, and I would already be doing it!”

We also heard stories of the profound ways they had made a difference in their client’s lives:

“I was able to keep loved ones in their home in the last days of life with the support they had from the services I put in place.”

“Mostly, people miss having their drivers’ licenses, as driving represents freedom, so I get to help give them that touch of independence back.”

“Assisting older adults to remain independent and connected to the community.”

14.8% of people in our north Brisbane and Moreton Bay region are over 65 years of age (that’s 160,000 older Australians), and these stories come from just a few of the exceptional people who help to provide care and services. Brisbane North PHN offers this post as a heartfelt #ThanksForCaring to our providers for their devotion to this work and our community.

“I am passionate about coming to work each day and it's wonderful to feel like a part of a community.”

Thank you to our aged care service providers for providing these photos of some of their wonderful staff.