7 Reasons You Should Work in Aged Care

Posted 22nd March 2024 | 4 minute read

Written by Jesse Gramenz 

Thinking of working in aged care? Go no further. We've got 7 awesome reasons you should consider working in one of the fastest growing industries in Australia. So, let's get to it!

1. The parties 🎂🌟

Yes, parties are #1 on our list because there are A LOT of parties. Baby showers, birthdays, cultural days -- the list goes on and on.

Whether it's for residents or for staff, there's always a party happening in aged care.

When it comes to the cakes, meals and treats, there's so much food that we're practically begging staff to have seconds!

2. You get to cuddle pets 🐶

Yep, you heard me right. 

A big part of aged care is pet therapy which means depending on where you work, you might have a live-in pet or at least a regular visitor.

And while the doggies are there for the residents, that doesn't mean staff don't get to have a cuddle too 😏

Jorge always has been and always will be my favourite 🌟

3. You get to be a hero 🦸

Aged care workers are heroes. But at St Vincent's they're our aged care angels. There is a lot of admiration in the community for people who look after the elderly -- it's a noble calling.

And while it can be a difficult job, the gratitude from residents and families can be all the difference in making a difficult day worthwhile.

Read on:

• What Makes a Great Aged Care Worker?
• St Vincent's full list of aged care job vacancies

4. You'll always have a job

The aged care industry is growing... massively.

• Between 2016 and 2020 the number of people working in aged care grew by 16%.
• There are around 370,000 people working in aged care in Australia
• By 2050 Australia will need nearly a million aged care workers to accommodate our ageing population.

That's a lot of opportunity. 

If you work in aged care, not only will you have a job for a long time, but the potential for career growth is massive.

Read on:

• Explore Aged Care Worker roles in Brisbane
• Explore Aged Care Worker roles in Sydney
• Explore Aged Care Worker roles in Melbourne

5. You'll be working with great people

It's pretty rare to find people trying to climb the ladder of politics and bureaucracy in aged care.

The reality is, if you've been working in an industry like aged care for a long time, you actually probably enjoy it.

The types of people who are attracted to working in aged care usually care deeply about their own families and want to continue that same level of care for the elderly in an aged care home or in an older person's own home.

Imagine surrounding yourself with those kinds of people every day. That's pretty special.

Who knows, you might even get the chance to meet some football heroes too!

6. You get to decide when you work

Flexible working hours a big plus in aged care.

Because there's such high demand for workers, quite often you get the chance to dictate when you work.

Prefer night shifts? Can you work on Sundays? Great! By working days and times that other people would prefer to have off, you can not only work on your terms but make even more money while you do it!

7. You'll wake up knowing you're making a difference in the world 🥰

It might sound a bit cheesy, and no doubt you would've seen the same thing written about working in aged care in other places too -- but it's true.

Working in aged care can be an incredibly rewarding career.

• You can be the sole reason that makes someone smile
• You quite often become family to older people who might not have any family of their own
• And you'll even pick up some wisdom from people who have been alive for 80, 90 or even 100 years!

No matter what, a career in aged care changes you forever. In what other jobs can you honestly say the same thing (there aren't many)?

Parting Thoughts

The parties, the pets, the people. No matter who you are, there's something in aged care for everyone. Why not check out our careers page to see if there's a job available that suits you.

Today could be the day you start on a path towards helping Australia's elderly. And that's pretty special.