Welcome

This blog is intended as a resource for aged care students, aged care providers, aged care workers and older people themselves to gain understanding and experience different points of view on the topic of aged care. I hope to stimulate your thinking and have you questioning the way we deliver aged care services in Australia. Enjoy!

About Me

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I have been working in the aged care industry for thirty years and have gathered a lot of information on the topic in that time. Some things I have learned through formal training by underatking accredited courses, some has been learned through experience and other things I have simply questioned whilst observing clients. Many questions remain unanswered. I have had the privledge of training others in aged care courses and have gathered immense knowledge from this process too. Over the years I have seen many changes in the aged care industry including care standards, government funding models and ultimately schools of thought on the right and wrong way to do things. I have been left with no choice but to grow and change with the industry.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

National Volunteer's Week 2011

This week it is National Volunteers Week in Australia. Volunteers play an important part in our work force and no industry is need of voluteers more than the Aged Care Industry, so for this reason I would like to say a huge thanks and offer gratitude the the people out there who get out of bed in the morning and head to work to offer a service free of charge.
What can I do in aged care as a volunteer I hear you ask? A simple conversation with an older person can be of great value. You could learn something too. Our older folk are human history books and are able to share with you their experiences of how it was in days gone by. So sign up to be a volunteer, grab a cuppa and start chatting! As you uncover the stories you may wish to create story books for the residents in a facility which contain photos and stories that map out a person's life and perhaps act as a reminder to those with memory loss.
if you are a little crafty you may want to create a story board to hang in your new friends room. You can do this by using photos and the block mounted canvas art boards you can find in most "cheap" shops.
If you work in a facility that has volunteers please take this opportunity to thank them personally for their contribution. you could also download a certificate of appreciation to present to them: Below is a link to the volunteering Australia website where you will find the free downloads and other information and ideas. Have fun!

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