“The time spent doing hands-on work as a carer was not only extremely close to my heart -but wildly confronting. The degree of disconnection amongst an ageing population and sometimes those who are expected to care for them surprised me.
With over a quarter of elderly people on anti-depressant medications, it’s never been more important to ensure the aged care industry is equipped with caregivers that understand the importance of being able to connect with their elderly clients in both a professional and meaningful way. I have never forgotten the conversation I had with a lady who was terminal. I asked her if she was scared about dying during conversation one day, and she told me that dying wasn’t scary, but living with no visitors for weeks on end, which left her with endless thoughts of utter loneliness felt like torture. She described how the highlight of her life was when her favourite caregiver visited once a week, and that she felt the caregiver “provided her with more relief than her medication did”. It was an incredible reminder that has stayed with me, one that spoke to the power of positive human interaction and connection, and the importance of the people who choose to work in these roles being reminded of the potential positive impact they can have on the lives of others, and just how valuable their work is.
47% of people in permanent care have been diagnosed with depression, 85% of those people have a diagnosed mental heath condition. These statistics concerned me enough to want to be part of the change one person at a time.
Job vacancies in January 2016 exceeded applicants by 400%, highlighting the need for aged carers.
The Department of Health estimates the aged care sector will need to expand to 980,000 by 2050 to meet the needs of our ageing population, with job agency ‘Seek’ predicting a growth of 30% by 2020.
In an industry that is growing at such rapid rates, it is imperative that the people who are caring for our ageing population are given as many tools possible to provide high end care for people who have been, and continue to be highly valued members of the community.
Book a consultation with Renee by emailing Renee@reneeeaves.com, and see how Renee and her team can empower the staff at your agency, so that your clients have the opportunity to receive care from caregivers that have been given that extra support, to be the best version of themselves. This additional coaching for your caregivers will enhance the service they provide to your clients, and ultimately benefit your business.
Additional Aged Care Information
Aged Care is a $20 billion+ industry in Australia, employing over 224,000 staff across more than 1800 businesses who care for over 270,000 elderly and disabled Australians.
There was a 23% increase in Government spending on aged care services between 2012-13 and 2017-2018.
People spend on average 2.5 years in permanent residential care, just over 1.5 years in home care, and a month in respite care.
Women outnumber men in aged care services 2 to 1 because on average they live longer and have higher care needs.
105 days was the average time between approval and entry into care for residential care, compared with 67 days for home care
The Federal Government predicts the number of Aussies aged 65 and over will double from 3.6 million today to 8.9 million by 2055.
