Opinion: Beyond the date, what Aged Care Employee Day means to me

Last month, RSL LifeCare celebrated nationally recognised Aged Care Employee Day. I’m lucky enough to work for this organisation and share in the sentiment that aged care employees should not just be celebrated on this day, they should be celebrated every day.

I have been working with RSL LifeCare for 11 months now as General Manager for Home Care. I came to this role after the past 15 years in Aged Care and Disability services, and over 35 years in health care as a registered nurse.

Every single day, I see how important it is to show up for our vulnerable older people.

Working in healthcare, specifically aged and disability care, has shown me how we can make unique connections with those we’re supporting. At RSL LifeCare, we are proud to offer an extensive choice of personalised services that are shaped to meet our client’s specific unique needs.

RSL LifeCare celebrated Aged Care Employee Day this year by honouring our fantastic team; it is a day for us to thank every person who works in our organisation and to acknowledge their contribution to enriching the lives of the veterans and seniors in our care.

Although many people primarily associate aged care with nurses, approximately 80% of the aged care workforce is comprised of other roles, such as allied health professionals, personal care assistants, cleaning and laundry, catering and chefs, management, maintenance, administration, leisure, and more.

The day is an important reminder that we, as a society, need to elevate our workers in this space every day.

About Aged Care Employee Day

Aged Care Employee Day is annually celebrated on 7 August to provide everyone in the community with the opportunity to celebrate each and every employee involved in providing care to older people. There are currently 365,000 aged care employees across Australia, dedicated to caring for 1.3 million older Australians.

Lyn Franco

+ posts

Lyn Franco is a healthcare professional with over 35 years within the sector. Lyn has explicitly worked within Aged Care and Disability services for the past 15 years. Lyn is RSL LifeCare’s General Manager for Life at Home. Within this role, Lyn is proud to work alongside her team, supporting the staff to provide the very best in quality service delivery.

This author does not have any more posts.