If you’re on the lookout for work that is both meaningful and flexible, with a range of career opportunities, then home care could be the perfect fit.

While you might have some idea of what the role involves, there is often a lot more to a job than you might realise.

We’re shining a light on five aspects that can help you decide if home care is the right profession for you.

Think being a home care worker means being indoors all day? Think again. While providing essential support at home is part of the job, it goes way beyond the home.

Home care workers spend time supporting seniors as they go out and about enjoying life, and across a variety of outdoor activities. From going out for walks to doing grocery shopping, taking seniors to doctor’s appointments or enjoying a cup of tea at a local café, there is often something to do outside.

If you are more of an indoors person, you won’t be disappointed either as there’s a balanced mix of outdoor and indoor activities. The latter may include assisting with meal prep and light cleaning, enjoying a chat over a meal or helping with ironing.

Home care is the ideal match for anyone seeking flexible work that adapts to their lifestyle – whether you’re looking to kickstart a new career, need to juggle work with studying or family commitments, or want to have a side hustle that makes a difference in someone’s life.

You can customise your work to suit your needs and choose full-time, part-time, or casual hours – it is up to you. You also have the freedom to decide where you want to work, making it a great choice for those who want to stay close to home or university or are looking to work around a specific area.

No matter your background or previous experience, you can be a great candidate to build a meaningful career in home care if you have a sincere desire to help others.

Another plus, no prior qualifications are required, as we can help you get the qualifications you need to build a career in home care.

The government-funded Home Care Workforce Support Program, delivered in NSW and the ACT by SSI, assists you with everything you need to secure a role as a home care worker – from guidance in preparing your CV to organising regulatory checks and undertaking free non-accredited and accredited training like First Aid training. At SSI, we equip you with the skills you need to provide quality care to seniors.

Getting started is free and easy.

Nothing beats the feeling of going home from work every day knowing you made a meaningful difference in someone’s life. Many carers discover this is the best part of the job because when you give back, you get back even more.

You get the unique opportunity to learn from someone else – someone with years of experience and a wealth of knowledge. Care and support workers go on to form connections with the people they support, often finding that even the smallest shared moments can have a huge impact.

Home care is a rewarding journey that benefits both the carer and the senior, creating life-changing experiences, gaining insightful learnings and witnessing the impact of your work.

Home care offers a wide range of growth and career opportunities. For example, you could go on to become a Care Coordinator or Home Care Manager, or you could use your skills learnt on the job as a springboard into nursing and allied health.

CEO of Eremea Home Care Services Vicki Zalalas entered the sector as a support worker and then started her own business, which she has grown in the past 20 years.

“This job is life-changing, flexible, long-term and full of opportunities. There are many options available in the sector to build a career,” said Vicki.

For more inspiration, take a look at SSI’s Home Care Career Roadmap, which outlines the multiple options available in the sector for advancement and growth.

Start your career journey into home care today by registering your interest at ssi.org.au/homecare or calling us on 1800 849 010.

Our support is tailored to your unique situation and completely free of charge.

After 13 years working in retail, Jenny had an operation that prompted her to move into home care, a career she had often considered but hadn’t had the opportunity to explore.

Planning her career change, Jenny discovered the Home Care Workforce Support Program (HCWSP), an SSI-supported program aimed to support, skill and empower home care workers to deliver safe, high-quality care for seniors in Australia.

Having always enjoyed spending time with her mother and her mother’s friends, Jenny decided to register onto the program after seeing an ad online. Within a month, SSI had supported Jenny in securing three potential roles in home care – she chose the one closest to her and joined aged care service provider Our Lady of Consolation.

Eleven months into role, Jenny wished she had made the switch years earlier.

“What I enjoy about my role is putting a smile on the faces of my clients,” Jenny said.

“Just knowing I’m helping my clients continue to live at home, where they feel most comfortable, is very rewarding to me.”

Jenny added, “I was surprised how lonely older people are in the community. Some seniors have never been married. Some have no children. Some have lost their partner, so they have no one to help them.”

Home care is not an accessible option for many seniors, as Australia grapples with talent shortages affecting the home care sector. Reports estimate the nation will need 110,000 more home care workers in the next 10 years – a trend influenced, in part, by seniors’ growing preference to stay at home.

“You don’t realise how much seniors need our support until you go out and work with them,” Jenny said.

“There is this lady I take shopping. She just loves to get out, and although her movement is very slow, just going to the shops and having a coffee and a lemon tart makes her day.”

For Jenny, her role as a home care worker is never the same. Sometimes it can involve doing light housework, taking seniors to doctor’s appointments, preparing a meal or just making a cuppa and having a chat.

“For some clients, we are the only people they see, so sitting to talk to them brightens their day.”

Jenny is interested in building a career in home care, so she’s taken on one of the development initiatives offered by the Home Care Workforce Support Program and is currently completing a Certificate III in Individual Support.

“I’m doing my Certificate III by correspondence, which suits me perfectly because I can study and work at the same time,” Jenny explained.

“SSI has been such a great support for me. Not only did they help me to secure a job in the first place but also, they continue to provide ongoing upskilling and growth support through my studies.”

SSI aims to boost the care workforce with 4,400 new support workers in NSW and the ACT by mid-2024 through its delivery of the Home Care Workforce Support Program.

The program is free and open to people with an empathetic nature who seek a rewarding, long-term and meaningful career caring for Australia’s seniors.