Lance:
Hi. I’m Lance. I work in aged care. I can tell you all about it. I’ve been working here a long time.
Judith:
Not as long as me.
Lance:
I know Judith. And this is Enid. She’s our boss, the aged care coordinator. Morning Enid.
Enid:
Morning Lance.
Judith:
Well Lance, are you going to tell them all about working in aged care or will I?
Lance:
All right. All right. Where do we start?
Judith:
From the beginning. Getting a job in aged care.
§(Music Playing)§
Tamika:
No more school now.
Female 1:
Yeah. I might go live in town, get a job, get that car. Are you coming with me Tamika?
Tamika:
Yeah. That would be good. I can’t. I’ve got to stay and look after nanna.
Female 1:
Yeah. You’re real good with her, taking her shopping, cooking her food, cleaning that house.
Tamika:
Some days I don’t think so. Some days she doesn’t even know who I am. It’s been getting worse. But at least she gets picked up by them aged care mob and gets to talk with her older friends.
Female 1:
Aged care? Look here. Work in aged care. Apply now.
You could do that.
Tamika:
What?
Female 1:
You already look after your nanna so you know about aged care.
Tamika:
I have to look after her because of her memory problems. I know what she needs because she’s my nanna. But I don’t know about looking after other old people.
Female 1:
They’ll teach you.
Tamika:
Bet they want someone older who knows what to do.
Female 1:
Just give it a go. You won’t know unless you apply.
Tamika:
I don’t know. And look they say you need a driver licence. I don’t have one of them.
Female 1:
You can get one. You always wanted to work in health. This is your chance.
Tamika:
But it’s not a health job. It’s aged care.
Female 1:
My aunty, she’s a health worker. She started off in aged care. She said she learned a lot. Made it easier when she did go to health because she did all that work. Just give it a go Tamika. And if you got a job you’ve got money to come and see me and we can go shopping.
Tamika:
Hmm, maybe I will apply. You come with me?
§(Music Playing)§
Hello?
Samuel:
Okay. See ya.
Work in aged care. Apply now. I can do that. I’ll ask my uncle.
He works there.
Hey uncle. There’s a job in aged care.
Lance:
Yeah? You want to work?
Samuel:
What you do?
Lance:
Let me sit with you and tell you.
We do people’s washing, their clothes and blankets. We do transport, take them to places, shop, clinic, council office. Some of us can help people with medication. You’ve got to have special training for that though. We take them out on bush trips. We might even help with showering and shaving.
Samuel:
That sounds better than what I’m doing now but I don’t know about that showering.
Lance:
All you need is some training. You’ll be right. And I’ll help you.
Samuel:
That’s good.
Lance:
We also take meals around each day.
Samuel:
I like cooking and I can drive. I can do this job.
Lance:
Yeah. You get on well with them old fellas, you’ve got a driver licence and no bad police record.
Samuel:
I got that speeding fine last year. That was my second one.
Lance:
Yeah. You’ll need to make sure you drive safely. And you’ve got to get a police check before you start. But if you done time in jail for a violent offence you can’t work in aged care. That’s the law.
Samuel:
Okay. How do I get the job?
Lance:
You have to apply and put in your resumé.
Samuel:
My what?
Lance:
Resumé. Writing down what you’ve done for work and schooling.
Samuel:
Hmm. Can you help me with that?
Lance:
Yeah. Then you have to have an interview with Enid.
Samuel:
Who’s Enid?
Lance:
Enid’s our boss, the aged care coordinator.
Samuel:
Okay.
This video introduces two young people, Tamika who has recently finished high school and has some experience as a family carer and Samuel, a young man who has been working in an outdoor job for a few years and is looking at a change in career.
Use this facilitator guide to support discussion about getting a job and working in aged care.
Stories, people and places are based on individuals from different communities in East Arnhem Land. For cultural appropriateness, names have been changed.