A new book that aims to give an in-depth look and insight into the home care sector has revealed a workforce that often feels underappreciated and undervalued.
The book, which is largely based on interviews with home care staff workers, was put together by socio-legal researcher and author Lydia Hayes.
Stories of Care: A Labour of Law is a book that argues that the heavily dominated female and working-class profession suffers from numerous problems, such as low pay, poor status and a lack of respect.
Hayes, along with a number of her researchers, interviewed 30 different home care workers across the country to gather a general overall image of how the job is perceived by its staff and what staff deal with on a daily basis.
These interviews were analysed and formed the foundation of the book itself, which is split into four distinct sections, each covering a major problem that is seemingly felt across all the home care workers interviewed.
The first section concerns itself with the issue of pay, of which many feel they are underpaid for the work they provide on a daily basis.
“A lot of people still look at us as cleaners or the general dogsbody,” said one of the home care staff members interviewed.
Another section of the book focuses on how despite the issues, many care workers do enjoy the work they provide, and see their work as essential to help the older community.
The final chapter looks at how workers engage with care policy.
“The government talks about home care as though it is an activity that saves money because it reduces so-called ‘bed blocking’ and is cheaper than institutionalised care,” said Hayes.
Hayes also stressed her annoyance that home care workers are often left out of discussions about their sector, despite being the people who keep the sector functioning.
“They are not involved in those discussions, because their opinions and knowledge appear to count for nothing. It’s hardly surprising that home care workers feel undervalued and unconfident.”
Hayes argues that for change for the people in the sector to happen, then the law needs to be changed to allow workers a greater say in the management of the system.
“Homecare workers need to be involved in formulating policy, to be able to influence the sector and secure [employment] contracts that recognise their skills, dedication and importance,” she said.
She suggests that this could be achieved by having select home care workers acting as elected representatives, who would then be able to have a say in government to better champion the needs of the sector’s workers.
“Making care a collective responsibility was the massive achievement of the 20th century; it enabled people to have more choices about the way they live their lives. In the 21st century, that system is being destroyed,” said Hayes.
“We need to protect social care, and to respect and value care work. That means we need changes to labour law.”
We here at Home Caring are a Bondi Junction based home care service that always looks out for our dedicated team of home care workers that always go above and beyond the call. If you would like to know how our team can help you, get in contact today.
The Albanese Labor Government has introduced a landmark Aged Care Bill, marking a once-in-a-generation reform to prioritise the rights, safety and dignity of older Australians.
From 1 July 2025, the new Aged Care Act will bring significant changes, including:
-Tougher regulatory standards to ensure higher
accountability
-Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards for improved
care delivery
-A dedicated Statement of Rights for older Australians
-A $4.3 billion Support at Home program to help seniors live independently at home for longer
These reforms align with the Royal Commission’s recommendations, focusing on better complaint handling, greater participant choice, improved funding and enhanced fairness and quality across the sector.
If you’d like to learn more about how these changes impact you or your loved ones, Home Caring can guide you through the details. Please call us on 1300 875 377 for personalised support and assistance.
Read more 📱- health.gov.au/aged-care-act
#AgedCareReforms #SupportingOlderAustralians #australianhealthandagedcare #AHAC
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Even as we head into the final month of the year our incredible Home Caring teams show no signs of slowing down! Fueled by their passion for helping others they’ve been working tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of our clients. Last weekend our Home Caring Vermont HomeCaring Narre Warren Home Caring Footscray HomeCaring Mornington Peninsula Home Caring St Albans Eltham and Bellarine teams all came together to showcase their dedication and expertise at the Melbourne Disability Expo.
The expo was an amazing opportunity for our teams to connect with the local community, meet new faces and raise awareness about the vital work we do. From sharing insights into our services to forming meaningful connections all of our Melbourne teams went above and beyond to make the event a resounding success. It’s clear that when you’re passionate about your work, it never feels like a job – and this passion was on full display throughout the weekend. A big thank you to everyone involved for representing Home Caring with such heart and dedication! 🩵
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Happy Friday HC fam!
It’s been a busy and productive week here at Home Caring with only forty days till the end of the year we are full steam ahead! One highlight was the team-building and networking session with our amazing Home Caring Bankstown team. The workshop was a huge success bringing everyone together to learn, grow and strengthen our skills.
These sessions are such a valuable part of what we do as they foster connection, build efficiency and empower us to deliver the best care to our clients. As we all know being a support worker can sometimes feel isolating but moments like these remind us of the incredible community we’re all a part of.
Let’s all carry that energy into the weekend—it’s going to be a hot one, so stay cool and take care! 🩵
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Happy Sunday HC fam! Recently our Home Caring Vermont team had the privilege of attending the 20th anniversary celebration of Hope City Mission, a vital organisation making a profound difference in our community. As proud sponsors we deeply admire their unwavering dedication to providing food relief, support and hope to those in need. Hope City Mission’s initiatives extend far and wide from their compassionate crisis support programs to sustainable efforts like planting seedlings, whose produce directly benefits people facing hardship. It’s a joy to stand beside them in their mission to uplift lives and foster resilience.
Our sponsorship reflects Home Caring’s core value of giving without expecting anything in return. We’re thrilled to have contributed to initiatives like installing a sprinkler system to nurture their community garden, where fresh produce is grown for those living in crisis. Supporting Hope City Mission means investing in kindness, growth and care and we couldn’t be prouder to play a part in their incredible journey. Here’s to creating positive change together! 🩵
#happysunday #welovewecare
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