Cups of tea and quiet, reminiscent chats paint the picture of aged care living, but behind the curtains, staff are hard at work to keep the wheels turning. 

Aged Care Employee Day (7 August) carries a different meaning this year, as diligent staff bear the load of compounding challenges, from new regulations to a depleted workforce. 

Even still, Bourke-based aged care worker Kassandra Kondeau loves what she does. 

“I started in aged care because I always felt like once people get to a certain age, they started feeling like they didn’t number anymore and they just became numbers,” Kassandra said. 

“You can see it, when people get older, that people just think that they’re not worth anything."

With ten residents, making sure they’re all still cared for is a big job. 

“There is only one person on the floor…so we do all their cooking, their daily assisted living, cleans, showers, medication. If they have appointments, we tend to that,” Kassandra said. 

“It’s quite busy. We don’t just sit around in cute uniforms like people think we do.”

Seven years into the role, the job is at its busiest as the nurse shortfall continues. 

“It astronomically impacts our workload…people can’t take holidays…there’s nobody to cover you,” Kassandra said. 

On the same day that new regulations for Aged Care providers were introduced (1 July, 2023), the Fair Work Commission increased wages by 15 per cent for some employees. Prior to the changes, 75 per cent of workers surveyed by the United Workers Union said they were intending to leave the sector.

Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) chief executive Tom Symondson said the Aged Care Employee Day is about taking a moment to thank the staff behind the scenes. 

“They’re the backbone…they make the lives of older Australians better,” Mr Symondson said. 

“We want our residents and clients, their families and friends to join us in saying ‘thank you for a job well done’ and recognise the hard work of aged care staff in caring for our loved ones.”