WORKING IN AGED CARE
SUPPORT PROVIDES ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES It takes a very special kind of person to work in the healthcare industry. For our aged care workers, it’s about having empathy, stamina, and resilience to care for the emotional, psychological, and physical needs of elderly people.
Assistant in Nursing, and ANMF ACT Workplace Delegate, Nischal Pokharel, first entered the sector in 2016, not expecting that it would lead him to pursue a long-term career. After migrating to Australia from Nepal, Nischal was initially studying IT in Sydney and also worked part-time, cleaning in an aged care facility to support himself through university. That role led him to discover what his future could look like and the career he could have. “When I started working, I didn’t have a plan in my mind to work in the healthcare sector. However, I then started working with older people and with this experience, I realised that was a really rewarding and prospective career and that you can really contribute to society.” “I realised okay, this is the career that I have the ability to do, to do something special.” Whilst Nischal was completing his Certificate III and preparing to enter the sector as an Assistant in Nursing, his expectations of the role were influenced by many of his friends having been through the same journey as him. “I had a bit of an understanding of what to expect. A few of my relatives and friends worked in the sector so I saw their journeys and they motivated me to follow in the same footsteps.”
In 2016, 15% of Australians were aged 65 and over, by 2056, that number is expected to grow to 22% of the population[1]. As Australia’s ageing population continues to grow, the need to care for our older Australians continues to increase. Roles in the aged care sector have continuously expanded over the years, providing further opportunities and pathways for people aspiring to make a difference in the sector. 1
ANMF ACT member and Workplace Delegate, Nischal Pokharel
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Observations March 2022
Australian Government, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Older Australians Report 30 November 2021
