The aged care career path is one of the most rewarding and demanded careers; it is easy to understand why. And why not; now that the generation is on the older side and aged care is so highly in demand, training in aged care workers such as Certificate III in Individual Support is becoming an attractive choice of many people so that they may serve their old population and uplift their lives. However, both residential aged care and home care are the two important components of aged care, so what should be your decision when choosing among the two options?
In this post we will look at the main differences between the two domains, in such aspects as job duties, working environment, career opportunities and etc. At the end you will be a bit more informed on what career fits your abilities needs, style of living and your visions in the future.
1. What does Home Care mean?
Home care is to support and aid the senior people by working at their houses in order to make them feel independent and connected with the community. The services offered by home care workers are many as including personal care (bathing, dressing, grooming), health support (medication management, chronic condition care), assistance with daily chores (cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping).
As a home care professional, you would normally visit your clients on regular basis, providing one-on-one assistance in the place they are familiar with. The position needs excellent communicating skills, empathy and self-reliance. You may serve one client or you may have a schedule of clients to go around a region and this aspect may add variety to your day at the work place.
2. Residential Aged Care What is it?
Residential aged care, in contrast, means having to work in a nursing home where the residents are aged people who require assistance on a 24-hour basis. These facility models aim at offering permanent housing to people with age-related ailments or disabilities that are not able to live on their own.
As a resident aged care worker, you would be expected to carry out various duties such as to give personal care, trying to assist residents with medical help, taking charge of the activities, and the safety and security of everyone in the aged care facility. You would be included as a member of a bigger team, you would be working with other carers, nurses, doctors and other allied health professionals.
Although the two professions have the same orientation of taking care of and attending to the needs of the aging people in Australia, the primary distinction is the context of work and the organizational lay-out of support systems.
3. Job flexibility and Career Path
Home Care: Flexibility may be defined as one of the most attractive properties of home care. Lots of home care workers love working at their own hours or in part-time schedule to suit their life style. This could be perfect to individuals who are in need of work-life balance, or to individuals who want diversity in their working day.
It is also possible to develop significant relationships with clients in home care and receive an opportunity to encounter diverse people and care requirements. There are also home care positions where you can become a specialist in some fields, dementia care, or palliative care, or specialize in providing home care to patients with diabetes.
Residential Aged Care: In case you want a more coordinated workplace with teams, the residential aged care would suit you. These plants will have set shifts which are predictable in terms of hours and work routine. But then on the positive side there is also the structure of the environment, there is avenue of advancement in the career as well as the chance of high up into the management or specialist position within the facility.
Careers in both disciplines can be developed, but aged care resident might be more stable in both job security and possibilities to advance inside the organization.
4. Career Skills and Qualifications
Home Care: To undertake a job in home care, you generally will require a Certificate III in Individual Support or Home and Community Care. Interpersonal communications, problem-solving and time management are the most essential skills that are needed in this position. Home care providers should not feel unattracted to working on their own either since the worker is left to work with individuals in an exclusive environment of their home.
Residential Aged Care: The qualifications required in residential aged care comprise a Certificate III or Certificate IV in Aged Care coupled with some experience in offering hands-on care. The job involves a mix of clinical abilities (e.g. helping with medicines and dressing wounds) and more person skills, e.g. patience, team working and coping with difficult situations.
Both professions need a love to care about people, but the kind of skills needed to be successful in each environment may vary and home care includes much more consideration of people as autonomous individuals, whereas residential care is much more team-based.
5. Emotional and Physical Request
Home Care: Home care can provide more one-on-one contact with the clients but may become a challenge. Working in the house of a client can sometimes be lonely, and it may be necessary to learn how to adapt new spaces or get used to the level of need of clients who are served. Also, as a home care provider, sometimes heavy lifting, or other physically demanding chores may be involved particularly when you are assisting the clients in movement.
Residential Aged Care: Residential care requires a lot of physical effort since one will be required to attend to a variety of residents during the day. It is also an emotionally demanding place especially when you are handling patients with complicated health conditions or mental disorders like dementia. Conversely, employment in a team can provide emotional sustenance and support, as well as much-needed friendship that can easily absorb the hard parts of the job.
6. Pay and Employment Security
As far as the salaries go, the home care and residential aged care both consist of competitive salaries, which however may differ according to the amount of care that is needed, as well as the geographical location and experience. Overall, there are residential care workers whose wages are a bit higher because of more organized nature of the occupation and more specific skills.
The employment outlook is also good in the two regions with demand of aged care services being continuous in Australia due to its aging population. Nonetheless, residential aged care can provide job security as the organisations in this sector are better and bigger.
7. Advantages and Disadvantages Different Career Choices
Home Care:
Advantages: flexibility of needing to schedule, the chance of providing one-on-one care, diversity of working environments, and development of strong relationships with clients.
Cons: The job is lonely sometimes, and unpredictable travel, and you may deal with challenging clients.
Residential Aged Care:
Advantages: Co-worker support, organization of work, work security, career opportunities.
Cons: It is physically demanding, emotionally challenging, has less flexibility in scheduling.
What is your Best Career?
Finally, it is a matter of personal choice, career, and lifestyle which finally decides in the home care or the residential aged care. And, in case you desire possibilities, freedom, and the ability to build warm relationships with clients, home care will be the best option. Conversely, in case you love working in a team, prefer structured environment and are seeking steady working hours, residential aged care may suit you.
Take a minute and think on what is most important to you in this profession; do you enjoy the independent work of going into people homes or would you prefer the routine and cooperation of the residential facility? Both avenues open up lucrative, fulfilling careers in aged care, and there is ample space of egress, and development.
Ready to do next step? Take a look at what you can train to do, get in touch with people in the business and begin your journey to an excellent and successful career in aged care now.
Author Bio
Name of author: Joshua Cook
Bio: With a double degree in both Business Marketing and Commerce Accounting, Josh has over 5 years of experience in the industry to contribute to his work as the National Marketing Manager of Breakthru in Brisbane, Queensland. His journey in life is a unique experience that makes him fit to serve in this important role.
Having been brought up with his younger sister Katey with Down Syndrome, Josh has developed a personal knowledge of the problems and social stigma related to disabilities. This is a personal cause, which motivates him to pursue the mission of Breakthru one to give individuals, such as Katey, the resources and support they need to live coordinated lives. Part of the reason why Josh took the job in Breakthru is to break the barriers and bust the myths that seem to be around almost every person with a disability.
