A Crash Course in Geriatric Care: Calling All Personal Care Assistants and Domestic Assistants

As technological advancements continue to improve the efficiency of the healthcare system, the need for passionate and dedicated people to provide care and support to our aging population continues to increase. If you’re a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) or Domestic Assistant (DA) and enjoy working with older people and want to make a truly positive impact on their daily life, geriatric nursing may be for you. Let’s explore what the role entails, the expected responsibilities, benefits and why this special role is in demand.
What is geriatric nursing?
Depending on the setting and workplace culture, geriatric nurses include registered nurses (RNs) who have undertaken a three year bachelor's degree but could also comprise of PCA’s and DA’s who have successfully completed a Certificate II or above within the Community and/or Aged Care sector.
Regardless of their qualification, geriatric nurses understand the specific and often complex health needs of this vulnerable group. They provide patient-focused care to improve their patients/clients quality and outlook of life by evaluating their unique needs. These nurses and carers understand that minor setbacks such as a fall, medication adjustment, environment changes and dietary modifications can have serious and even life threatening outcomes and must be taken seriously.
What roles do geriatric nurses play?
- Patient care - This could involve; personal care, cleaning and laundry, meal preparation/planning, gardening, home nursing, allied health and transporting clients. The particular duties and responsibilities may differ depending on your role and the location of each client.
- Health assessments - Geriatric nurses assist medical staff with physical exams and procedures to accurately assess a patient's mental health and cognitive abilities. With time and experience, nurses can distinguish key changes in mental decline, incontinence, changes to sleep patterns and increased falls. They are able to document these observations and assessments efficiently, via the appropriate medium (written versus electronically) in order to create plans that are relevant to each patient's unique needs.
- Patient advocacy - Being a voice for older people who are often unable to make independent decisions about their health and treatment, is an important aspect of geriatric nursing and care. Recognising and responding appropriately to potential medication errors, changes in behaviour and appetite, alterations in mood and general appearance and loving family opinions can prevent a downward trajectory leading to crippling health outcomes.
Why geriatric nurses are currently in demand
Due to incredible technological advances in medicine that continue to evolve, the Australian population is living longer. Though this is an incredibly positive outcome, it puts a lot of pressure on the nursing profession to keep up with the demand. These vulnerable Australians often require complex care and support to manage their chronic illnesses, like diabetes, which adds complexity to care across a person's lifespan.
According to current trends, our older generation, aged 65 and above will double by 2057. Meanwhile, in the nursing sector, Australia faces a shortage of 100,000 nurses by 2025, which will increase to over 123,000 by 2030. That means an increased demand for nurses and caregivers with a speciality in chronic disease or geriatrics.
Benefits of being a geriatric nurse
- Rewarding work in patient-focused care
- Advocate for those who are unable to be a voice for themselves
- Plenty of work opportunities available in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, residential care facilities, nursing homes and retirement communities
- Utilise and expand on a wide array of your nursing skills including communication, coordination, assessment, and observation
- Broad educational work opportunities available which include teaching at colleges, universities and schools, giving lectures to students or creating courses themselves Job security as the profession demand continues to grow
What VNS can offer you
At VNS, we are currently working with Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH) to offer new opportunities to Personal Care Workers (PCAs) and Domestic Assistants (DA) across Victoria to provide quality care to the elderly in the comfort of their own homes. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to gain experience in caring for the elderly.
For more information on our Home Care Worker roles and to register your interest, click here.









