Revised: June 2025<\/p>\n
Are you interested in working in aged care? Developing aged care skills is key to becoming a great worker and succeeding in the industry.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Through gaining aged care skills that allow you to interact with residents from a diverse range of backgrounds, deliver quality care and maintain a safe environment, you\u2019ll improve your career prospects in both the short- and the long-term future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Explore the aged care skills that you need with Sanctuary:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As an aged care worker, <\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> important to have the skills that allow you to provide compassionate care, <\/span>ma<\/span>intain<\/span> a<\/span> safe <\/span>en<\/span>vironment<\/span> a<\/span>nd adapt to the evolving needs of patients. These include:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In aged care, <\/span>you\u2019ll<\/span> interact with people from multiple backgrounds, with varying communication abilities and levels. Being able to do so effectively and efficiently, tailoring your communication to the person <\/span>you’re<\/span> talking to, will be invaluable in your aged care job role. Examples of excellent communication skills include:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Being able to effectively complete all your <\/span><\/span>aged care duties and responsibilities<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/a> promptly is a great skill to have. Each resident needs to receive the right level of care, so knowing how to carry out tasks well is a necessity. Some examples of these tasks that will <\/span>likely be<\/span> assigned to you as an aged care worker are:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Find out more about working in aged care today<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n Aged care can be a physically demanding job. Aged care workers need to be able to manoeuvre residents safely, and <\/span>you\u2019ll<\/span> be on your feet for most of the day. Keeping active and having a degree of physical fitness will go a long way in an aged care job role<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An essential skill of an aged care worker, and anyone working in aged care, is to remain calm in high-pressure situations. Every day will look different, so preparing for anything and solving problems quickly will allow you to thrive in the industry.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aged care should be delivered with a holistic approach, tending to residents\u2019 physical, emotional and mental needs. Being able to do this whilst maintaining <\/span>professional work boundaries<\/u><\/span><\/a> is a very desirable aged care skill to have, as it requires practice and attention.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Be aware of the amount of support a resident will need. Some may need more attention than others, so dedicating adequate time to each person, meeting their expectations and providing a safe, comfortable environment for them to live in is a top priority of an aged care worker.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aged care is not a transient industry, unlike other areas of healthcare. You are likely to see the same residents every day, so learning about them on a deep level is to be expected. They may disclose personal and private details about themselves, and it is part of your <\/span><\/span>duty of care<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/a> to keep this information confidential unless you believe a resident is in danger. Acting in line with the <\/span><\/span>aged care standards<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/a> and adhering to aged care worker responsibilities outlined in the <\/span><\/span>Aged Care Act<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/a> keeps everyone safe and respected.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Working in aged care means <\/span>a large portion<\/span> of your job involves supporting residents with physical limitations, memory loss or cognitive decline. Demonstrating patience and having a can-do attitude helps to build trust, <\/span>maintain<\/span> dignity and reduce the likelihood of stress and frustration, fostering a positive environment.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Part of your day-to-day role in aged care will involve handling sensitive documentation and care plans detailing resident schedules and prescribed treatments. Staying organised and ensuring reports and <\/span>important information<\/span> are kept up to date, are <\/span>easy to understand, and are <\/span>stored in line with policies is imperative to each resident receiving the level of care they require.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ensuring tasks are completed on time requires a strategic approach. Sticking to routines will not only help to alleviate stress and anxiety for residents but also prevent oversights. Prioritising tasks also ensures urgent care is delivered when <\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> supposed to and major errors are avoided.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 2024, 59% of aged care residents in Australia were aged 85 and over<\/u><\/a>. Given this statistic and recognising generational differences that may come with growing up in a different era to yourself, it is essential that you display cultural awareness and sensitivity by understanding the religious as well as ethical values and beliefs of residents. You may need to adapt day-to-day and end-of-life care practices because of this.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many qualifications and training programs can help you to gain and develop your aged care skills.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aged care qualifications that allow you to <\/span>become an aged care worker<\/u><\/span><\/a>, which include theory and practical assessments, are:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For a more in-depth line of study, building on your clinical knowledge and skills, you can choose to obtain:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Examples of modules that are incorporated into the above teachings, allowing you to develop your aged care skills and become a great aged care worker are:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you are already in the aged care industry and want to grow as an aged care worker, there are government-developed courses you can take to develop your skills in specific areas of the sector. These include:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The aged care industry is a fantastic place to kickstart a diverse and fulfilling career. Aged care skills are transferable, meaning they will be with you for life once <\/span>acquired<\/span>. If <\/span>you\u2019re<\/span> considering applying your skills to the aged care industry, find out about <\/span><\/span>transitioning to aged care<\/u><\/a>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You can also contact our team today for more information on securing your dream aged care role.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Revised: June 2025 Are you interested in working in aged care? Developing aged care skills is key to becoming a great worker and succeeding in the industry.\u00a0 Through gaining aged care skills that allow you to interact with residents from a diverse range of backgrounds, deliver quality care and maintain a safe environment, you\u2019ll improve…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":37708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21097"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37709,"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21097\/revisions\/37709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/37708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sanctuaryrecruitment.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
10 aged care skills that are needed to make a great aged care worker<\/h2>\n
1. Excellent communication skills<\/h3>\n
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2. Managing multiple tasks at once<\/h3>\n
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3. Keeping physically fit<\/h3>\n
4. Remaining adaptable to situations and working well under pressure<\/h3>\n
5. Displaying empathy and care<\/h3>\n
6. Acting in line with aged care standards<\/h3>\n
7.\u00a0 Having a patient manner<\/h3>\n
8. Tending to documentation with a high level of attention to detail<\/h3>\n
9. Time management<\/h3>\n
10. Cultural competency<\/h3>\n
What’s the best way to start developing my aged care skills<\/h2>\n
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Considering a career in aged care?<\/h2>\n