Thank you for working in aged care day... week

WE HOLD Thank you for Working in Aged Care Day each September, but one day isn’t enough to thank workers for the great work they do looking after the elders of our community, so in 2021 we celebrated all week.

Real thanks means real change, so we applied to Fair Work for a 25% wage increase for aged care workers, and to celebrate we ran a giveaway for HACSU members. From 29 August to 4 September members could win a $50 Coles or Woolies gift card every month for 12 months with a golden ticket, 6 months with a silver ticket or 3 months with a bronze ticket – they just had to grab a chocolate from their organiser and unwrap it! There were also daily $50 spot prizes and a second chance draw. Seema from Strathhaven found a golden ticket, Ana from UAW Kings Meadows a silver ticket, Ranjana from Taraandoo a bronze ticket and Evelyn from Tyler Village won the second chance draw.

CHERYL – Lifestyle & Leisure Officer. Worked in aged care for 29 years.

"It’s rewarding knowing we do make a positive difference to the lives of our residents, but I dislike that it’s so physically and mentally challenging for workers, though some days are better than others. A 25% wage increase would be wonderful, it would mean less financial stress at home trying to pay the bills and would give more incentive for people to stay working in this industry. There would be less burnout for workers due to having to work more hours and shifts to try and generate a liveable income and a wage increase would allow more family time at home. As far as changes, realistic resident to staff ratios would be great. Acknowledge and pay us properly for the huge role we play in aged care – the injustices we have to deal with now are enormous."

MICHELLE – Extended Care Assistant. Worked in aged care for 14 years until July 2021.

"I joined the aged care workforce back in 2007 after a 6 month TAFE course and worked for the same company until this year. I enjoyed making the residents' day and leaving work feeling satisfied and accomplished. I enjoyed the many stories and life events the residents shared with care staff and chatting to them about my life and my children. I enjoyed seeing the smiles and comfort they got from receiving the care they needed – it’s all about holistic care for each person. But the role of a carer has become very demanding due to unrealistic expectations from management who should jump in the shoes of a carer and do the role for 1 or 2 shifts a month to see how we roll. Aged care has become an industry of high staff turnover due to burnout, stress, fatigue and lack of respect shown by management. Over the last 5 years older clients are getting more frail before entering facilities as they’re encouraged to stay home and seek care packages before then entering a facility with higher needs. A huge strain has been placed on the residential workforce as management seem blind to the need for more staff on the floor to accommodate the increasing requirements of incoming residents. Care workers deserve a 25% pay rise as the demands on them are excessive, and it'd help staff with massages, counselling, me-time, and the always rising cost of living. We’re required to do online training often in our own time and staff are doing progress notes during their meal breaks, which is unacceptable. I’d like to see more care staff, more cleaners, laundry and kitchen staff and newly appointed management teams across the board – especially in care and hotel services. Aged care management needs new blood and a new vibe!"

PHOEBE – Extended Care Assistant. Working in aged care for 10 years.

"There are good and bad things about aged care, it can be so hectic when you're rushed off your feet but it can also be very rewarding. If we earnt more we could drop a shift to spend more time with family and have more money to pay the bills rather than stressing so much. I'd like to see better staff to resident ratios in aged care."

TIM – Personal Care Assistant. Working in aged care for 4.5 years.

"What I like most about my job is how a simple 'thank you' from a resident for helping them do the most basic task can change my day or week in such an empowering way, when in reality they don't have to thank me for doing my job. I support a 25% pay rise for my industry as I believe we deserve fair wages for the professional care and support we give to our residents. We give so much of ourselves at work but still struggle to pay our bills and provide a decent standard of living for our families. I believe the biggest change needed in aged care is the resident to staff ratios. Proper ratios would allow more time for us to care for our residents' individual needs and treat them with the respect they deserve."

WENDY – Extended Care Assistant. Working in aged care for 26 years.

"The workload in aged care is becoming more physical , particularly of a day, so I now choose to mostly do night shift for that reason. I love my work colleagues as we can bounce off each other as only those who work in aged care fully understand how hard the job can be. I also love the residents, and the job can be very rewarding. More money would attract more staff and those who are already working in it deserve a pay rise. We do hard, physical and mentally draining and demanding work, especially with all the situations we deal with and the lack of a decent staff to resident ratio. I would like to see more support in understanding the behaviours we deal with on daily basis."

DONNA – Extended Care Assistant and Leisure Health. Working in aged care for 11 years.

"A 25% pay increase would make a huge change in my life and all workers in aged care. It would take financial pressure off the family unit and give more choice of the hours we work and give us less stress and more family time. We deserve a pay rise as we're hard workers who put our clients and residents first and continually work overtime without pay. We're one of the lowest paid workers who look after the elderly people who helped form the Australia we live in today. I would like to see staff to client ratios in age care as hospitals, childcare etc have ratios, but not this industry. I’d also like to see recognition of carers as the frontline between client and nurse."