Why working in home care gives you meaning and purpose
Are you looking for more meaning and purpose in your job and career? Are you community-minded and enjoy providing one on one support to older people in the community? Our home care team supports older South Australians to remain living in their own homes, where they want to be.
Our Community Care Workers at St Louis Home Care say their work is rewarding and the greatest satisfaction they get while supporting our clients in their own homes, is the ability to provide one on one support with time for connection. The job has real purpose and meaning as we are helping our clients live safely in their own homes, where they want to be.
“The best thing about home care is we have time for conversation as we are working with our clients in their own homes and the support is always one on one support.”
Many of our staff have started working as Community Care workers without having a Certificate III in Individual Support and found their previous work skills, knowledge, and experience valuable to provide a high standard of support to our clients combined with the ongoing training they receive from St Louis Home care.
Working in home care provides many benefits and opportunities such as:
- Working with older people in the community to provide one on one support and care
- Using practical life and problem-solving skills in the workplace
- Applying your current skills to aged care
- Allowing your personality and personal qualities to help others
- Providing support kindness, empathy, and care in your work role
- Having work-life balance with flexible hours of work
- Ongoing training and proven career pathways
- And many other employee benefits.
Here is what the home care team at St Louis, has to say about their work in home care, who have been working in the community providing home support for many years.
Here is what our team says about working in home care
Cheryl, Service Coordinator
“Working with older people gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment because you are making a difference in their lives. Robert is a good example. We helped him get social again after being housebound, and now he’s learning to play new musical instruments as well.”
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Louise, Home Care Worker
“You really can make someone’s day a lot brighter and bring positivity and joy into the life of another person. This is just by helping them with a task that perhaps was very easy for them to do themselves at one point in their lives, but now presents a challenge to them.”
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Deb, Aged Care Worker, and Social Support Coordinator
“It’s the people that I care for, and they are the reason I love it. It’s nice to hear their life stories. You get to know them and their families and what they like and what they don’t like. I like people and get on well with most. When I have cared for someone and they are happier for it and appreciate it, it makes me feel great about my work. If you can give people some happiness during the day, your job is halfway done.”
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Sahill, Community Care Worker
“I had a client whose husband passed away and she was in deep sorrow. She used to keep her husband’s ashes in a box at the front door. She was always thinking about him and always sad. One day I realised that if I talked to her husband it might help. So, every time I visited, I would spend a few minutes upon my arrival, chatting with the box near the front door. I passed on a message from her husband: Don’t be upset, I want you to be happy here. If you’re happy here, I will also be happy here. As detailed in the client’s home support plan my visit would be to take her out for social community connections, she wanted to go outdoors to the beach and places in the sunshine and to places she had spent time with her late husband. Little by little she said she got back to feeling more normal and these trips in her care plan had helped her recover from her grief. I was new to St Louis at the time and wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing, so I discussed it with my coordinator, she told me that if the client was comfortable and making those choices for herself and the social visits were detailed in the care plan and the client feedback was very positive. The client was very grateful. I helped her to recover from her grief and she now lives a more comfortable life.”
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Helen, Registered Nurse
“I still use my nursing skills and make a difference in people’s lives in their homes. Older people have so much to give. I enjoy talking to them about their lives and their past, and it’s rewarding when I know I am supporting their quality of life and reminding them that they are still capable of many things. A lot of them feel they are not useful which isn’t true. We help them strive for and improve their independence. We work on goals together and make these goals achievable so that they gain confidence in themselves again. This is all done in partnership with themselves and their family. For example, if they want to start an exercise program to improve their fitness, we will create a program with measurable goals and together we track the progress as they work toward their fitness goals.”
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Looking for a job that has meaning and purpose every day? Join us at St Louis Home Care
We recognise your life skills, personality, and passion to work with older people in the community make a difference in the support you provide to our clients living in their own homes. You do not need a Certificate III in Individual Support or Aged Care to apply for work as a home care community worker, as many varied work experiences are a positive contribution to the role of a community care worker.
If you’re the right person with the right qualities, we want you on our team. We provide ongoing training and help you develop the skills to become a successful care worker, and if you are studying a Certificate III in Aged care or Individual support you can apply while you complete your studies.
As you are working in a very important role with older people in the community the Department of Health requires home care providers to process important documentation about you. This means that we need documentation from you for your employment.
To be successful in any role in Community Care you will need to provide a National Police Clearance (no more than 2 years old), you will need to have a well-maintained roadworthy car with comprehensive insurance, a current unrestricted Drivers Licence, with documentation of your car registration and insurance, you will also have had Covid 19 and current flu shots. Having your documents ready prior to your interview can fast-track your application.
Working as a carer provides many people with flexible hours for work-life balance. There are many opportunities and varied roles in aged care it is an exciting career path if you wish to pursue it.