An honour and a privilege

For Russell, trading the classroom for aged care support work has been more than a career change.

“Fourteen years ago, when I was still teaching, my family saw a role with Anglicare Tasmania advertised in the newspaper,” Russell (pictured above left with regular client John) recalls. “They commented on how much I liked a chat with the older people at our church and suggested I give it a crack, and here I am!” he says.

Russell usually supports three to four people per day, providing personal care, domestic assistance and social support to them. He says no two days are the same, and this forms an important part of the appeal.

“I love going to work, being part of someone’s journey,” he explains. “I love hearing people’s life stories, and sharing special moments with them.  One of my clients had turned 100, and I was there the day his letter arrived from the Prime Minister.  Another had worked on the penstocks at the Poatina Power Station so we went and had a look – it was really cool. Another had worked in a mine – I’ve learned a lot about how safety regulations have improved over the years!

“I’m always listening and learning, and it helps me to think about what I’d like my own life to look life when I get to this stage.”

A rewarding career path

Russell says aged care support work is not for everyone. It is best suited to people who are interested in, and care about, people:

To see a kid experience a light bulb moment as a teacher is pretty special, but I can honestly say that supporting older people is more rewarding.  It’s an honour and a privilege. It’s also humbling to know that I can be of help to people when they may be uncertain of what lies ahead and they’re feeling vulnerable.

“A good all-rounder”

One of Russell’s clients, John, says the pair gets on well.

“If there’s housework to be done, he’ll do that for me,” he said. “If I need to go to the shops, he’ll do that with me as well. He takes me to the bank and helps me sort through my mail, which is really helpful. I’d describe him as a good all-rounder.”

Could an aged care career be a good fit for you?

Anglicare Tasmania is looking to expand its team of in-home aged care support workers. Workforce planning has identified that men are underrepresented in our team, and we want to change that. Applications are also welcome from people across age groups and cultural backgrounds.

Hear from  Devid about his experience of working with the Anglicare Tas Aged Care team.

Learn more about Anglicare’s Aged Care Services

Visit this webpage to find out what qualifications you will need, and your next best steps. We look forward to hearing from you.

PIC: Russell and John enjoy a good rapport.