If you’re looking for a career that involves working hands-on with patients but you don’t have the time or money to train to become a nurse, one option is to become a home care worker. Many elderly people prefer the comfort of staying in their homes to a nursing home, and home care workers allow them, or anyone else with chronic illnesses or conditions, to remain safe and healthy in a comfortable, familiar space.
Home care workers help with basic tasks such as bathing, dressing, basic hygiene and moving around. You may also be asked to do light housekeeping and run errands. While some tasks are similar to those performed by nurses, home care workers have fewer medical duties due to the lower training and education requirements. Your responsibilities are more focused on helping your patient get around, maintain hygiene and be comfortable. Home care workers can build long-term relationships with patients over a long period, getting to know their routines and habits, and developing a close bond.
Here are a few tips on starting a career as a home care worker.
How to become a home care worker
Academic qualifications such as an HSC, VCE or university degree are usually not required to enter the world of care work. However, some certificates and skills are likely to give you a head start—from basic first aid training and a current Australian driver’s licence to a specific qualification in Social Care and Health. These latter courses are specifically designed to prepare you to support adults requiring care. A police check is also essential for working with vulnerable adults.
Experience can be a more important route into the sector than any qualifications, so volunteering is a good idea. Alternatively, some home care workers start out in a traineeship, where they train as a care assistant for a low hourly wage before entering the sector properly.
The skills you’ll develop as a home care worker
When you start out in the sector, induction programs and initial training will be provided to help you learn the basics of areas such as food hygiene, first aid, health and safety, and safe ways of helping people move around. These skills are all essential to caring for elderly people and vulnerable adults.
Pay and job prospects for home care providers
According to talent.com, the average starting salary for a care worker is around AUD 56,000, and this can rise to anywhere from AUD 67,000 to AUD 96,000 as you develop your skills and experience. Roles may also be available where accommodation is provided, while home care workers working shifts at night or on weekends can charge higher rates.
There are also plenty of job opportunities in this field. The care sector is one where there is frequently a shortage of skilled workers needed to look after an ageing population eager to grow old at home. Being a home care worker is also a great launchpad for a career as another type of care professional—potentially one with a higher salary bracket. For example, after additional training, you could become a physical therapist or even a registered nurse.
Plus, you get to make a difference in people’s lives every day. Doing good deeds for others is proven to contribute to our own emotional and physical well-being—and as a home care worker, you can make a career out of it.