WA-based Aged care provider Baptistcare is boosting home support roles within its operations in response to what it says is a growing demand for government-funded home care packages in the state.
The growth in demand for home care is creating more career prospects in the sector, the not-for-profit organisation says.
Following the aged care royal commission, the provider created a new role of Assistant Hub Manager (Metro) as part of a fresh approach to building meaningful relationships with home care customers and their families.
‘Service hubs and a team-based structure mean our care team can work more collaboratively to help elderly Western Australians age well in their own homes,” it says.
Meeting individual needs
Michael Ladner, who is Baptist Care’s new assistant hub manager, says home care customers all have unique views of what living at home looks like, and he says ensuring their unique needs are met is an important role.
Mr Ladner completed a Diploma of Enrolled Nursing in 2017, worked in palliative care and disability care and spent two years working the night shift in a hospital before finding his niche in the home care industry in 2020 as a home care support worker.
In his current role, he is responsible for both managing finances for fhome care packages and care planning.
“It’s quite a broad role (and) I quite enjoy it because there’s the variety of still being able to go and chat with people and really get the most out of their funding for them,” Mr Ladner told Community Care Review.
He has been able to celebrate the 96th birthday of a home care client who was unable to celebrate with their family and his team also helped prevent another client from being scammed.
“It was on the phone and luckily the carer was there and was able to stop that and I know the family were really thankful,” Mr Ladner said.
Customer-focused
He says the role is very customer-focused and involved spending a lot of time on the road meeting people and making sure their needs are being met.
Mr Ladner says older people are more comfortable in their own homes.
“(When) you take someone out of their environment, and as you get older as well, you’re less comfortable to change,” he said.
“To be able to provide care at home, and keep people in their own environment with all the social connections around them, is…a better way of doing things.”
During the short time that he’s been in the role, Mr Ladner has already seen changes to the industry.
“Things are getting better every single day, which is amazing to see because we’re able to serve the elderly in Australia the best we can,” Mr Ladner said.
Comment on the story below. Follow Community Care Review on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and sign up to our newsletter.
