Getting started in a career in aged care in Australia.

Hi,
     After my daughter started school, I decided that it was time to look around for a new career.
In Australia there are increasing  opportunities in aged care. This is  because the percentage of over 70's in the population is increasing.  The  "baby-boomers" born in the  the immediate post-war period 1945-1955 are now reaching retirement age.

I started out by looking around for a training provider to get an initial qualification in aged care. I found that Australasian-Lawrence Aged Care college was well suited to my needs.  They were based near my home  and had a flexible schedule that allowed me to finish the course quickly.  After completing the theory side of the course it was necessary to find a practical placement. This was a challenge but after ringing about 30 different aged care facilities I eventually found one willing to supervise me. My 80 hour unpaid traineeship was at Sambell Lodge in Clifton Hill they were friendly and helpful and gave me a great reference.  I completed my Certificate 3 in aged care in about 4 months in all.                                                          

After completing my studies.  I started looking for work. I searched online  at www.seek.com.au and also sent my resume to several agencies. Before too long I found some casual work.
This work involved visiting old folks to assist them in their home and sometimes assisting them with shopping and outings. At first, it was quite a challenge at learning to find my way around to different suburbs with the help of the GPS on my phone. After a while I got used to it.  I found that working with clients in their homes suited me better than working in a nursing home sector.

After around 6 months working with agencies as  a casual I decided to go in to business for myself as an independent carer.  I found that clients were happy to hire me directly based on my Certificate and references.  I found that it was possible to find regular age care clients through specialized websites like Find a carer and also by advertising on the notice boards of my local public library. By having my own business I found that I was  happier because I could choose the clients who were not so difficult. The clients are happy because they avoid the high fees charged by the agencies.
                                                               

Working in aged care can be challenging and may not suit everyone but there are certainly opportunities there to make a start working in Aged Care in Australia. After working in aged care for less than 12 months I had saved enough to buy a brand new car!

Thanks for reading, Please feel free to leave a comment or query.

Regards,
Joy