August 7th 2023 is Aged Care Employee Day in Australia, celebrating the hard work and effort made of Australia’s dedicated and diverse aged care workforce.
The annual commemoration was founded by Whiddon in 2018, and aims to lift the lid on what it is like to work in the sector, reflecting on the exceptional care delivered by those in direct and non-direct care roles.
Aged Care Employee Day is now supported by the Aged and Community Care Providers Association, which represents a body of more than 427,000 residential care, home care, and retirement living staff who care for over 1.5 million older Australians every day.
Whiddon CEO, Chris Mamarelis, said that the Aged Care Employment Day celebrations were a key reminder of the ongoing support needed for all aged care employees.
“It’s a special day for the sector, where every single employee working in aged care is acknowledged and recognised for the work, they do to deliver quality care to our seniors. It’s an opportunity for us to step up and speak about the challenges faced by our aged care workforce. We must support them the same way they have supported us. We must stand with them to ensure their important work is valued and appreciated,” said Mamarelis.
The celebration was an initiative founded due to the lack of existing national days that only recognise certain parts of the aged care workforce. Since the celebration began, Aged Care Employee day has highlighted the role that every aged care worker plays within the sector, providing holistic care services to Australian seniors.
In May 2023, the Australian aged care sector welcomed a 15 percent pay increase for direct care workers. However, non-direct care roles have remained excluded from the Federally funded wage increase, without any clarification from the Fair Work Commission as to why.
Whiddon area head chef for the central coast and far west, Aaron Young, said that the celebration had created great pride in the positive impact that his food can have on Whiddon residents.
“I feel like I’m feeding a big family. That’s the care l put into my food and, like I’m feeding my family. We don’t have any of my grandparents with us anymore, and they would be the same age as the residents at Whiddon. I see many of my grandparents in the residents I meet, which makes it so enjoyable and rewarding to get to know our residents. Most just want to chat about their past, reminisce, and get to know you,” said Young.
Cooks, housekeepers, cleaners, laundry assistants, maintenance roles and administration are some of the roles that were excluded from the pay increase.
Mamarelis added that 26 percent of the roles within Whiddon were non-direct positions. Therefore a quarter of his staff did not receive the 15 percent pay rise.
“A holistic care approach is not possible without every single aged care employee. We passionately believe that every worker should be recognised and celebrated for their incredible work, irrespective of how ‘directly’ they are involved in care on paper.”
