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It's a job that is not for me...

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Author It's a job that is not for me...

Suannie

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  • Joined: Mar 2013
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  • Posts: 4

Fri May 10, 2013 4:05 pm

After 32 hours of my placement at a facility, I decided not to continue as it is making me feel sick.  I can't handle the smell of urine and feces that I get massive headache as if my head is going to explode.  The other day I asked the owner/manager if I could eat my lunch outside to get some fresh air as I could still smell shit and was told bluntly no.  She thinks no one should go out of the building in case there is an emergency and that everyone should help that basically you have to drop your lunch and forget you are on a break after standing continuously for 6 hours showering, toileting, feeding and transferring residents.  It's a very toilsome job that I would rather mop the floor for a living than caring for these old folks!

cj123

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  • Joined: May 2012
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May 10, 2013, 08:30 pm

Hi Suannie,

Sorry to hear of your bad experience.Maybe you could talk to your educators about it.Seems odd you cant leave the building to eat.What do the smokers do? can you try another facility.

Caghs

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  • Joined: May 2013
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May 11, 2013, 04:53 am Last edited May 11, 2013, 04:53 am update #1

If you have a caring nature, stick with it.

I agree that it's not a job for everyone, but if you're passionate about helping others, it's a very rewarding job. Those conditions are borderline illegal; you are not required to work whilst on your lunch break (or coffee break, for that matter!), although there are those who will "use" students and those on work places by taking advantage of their newness and unfamiliarity with regulations.

I'd report that workplace, or manager. That kind of thing is not on. I smell a rat!

I'm also curious why the place you're at stinks of faeces and urine. A small amount of unpleasant odour is to be expected, but it shouldn't be overwhelming if proper care is being taken of the residents. If you feel the smell is excessive, you can anonymously report the organisation to an independent body relevant to your state/territory. I've been employed for several months in high-care dementia, with a high incontinence rate and even "finger-painters" (people who dip their fingers in their own faeces and smear it over themselves), and I've worked throughout a gastro outbreak, and we have not had anything more than a mildly perceptible odour. That seems wrong.

In the right facility, Aged Care is a very rewarding (albeit demanding!) job.

modified: Saturday 11 May 2013 4:54:15 am - Caghs

Suannie

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  • Joined: Mar 2013
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May 13, 2013, 09:40 am

Unfortunately, I found it too late that I do not have that kind of caring nature (looking after the elderly)...and that I only took the course because I have friends who are in the industry.  I figured if they can do it, so can I.  Very wrong assumption and I wish the school I went to provided some aptitude test first to see if a student is cut out to be in this line of work.  I learned that some of the students in my class gave up after one day in the facility!

It's definitely not a job for everyone.

navyseal

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  • Joined: Aug 2013
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Aug 25, 2013, 08:42 pm

Wow...after reading these posts I am more that 900% sure I have made the right decision by not getting into aged care. 

Thank God

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