Aged care support worker and trainer shares her story

Aged care support worker and trainer Laila Kaawi reflects on her journey so far.

Laila Kaawi, an aged care support worker and a trainer at Macquarie Community College, has worked in the aged care industry for a decade and a half. One of her early memories as a carer is of a client with a “very progressed dementia and argumentative behaviour that caused concern”.

“On one regular afternoon at work, I was taking care of this client and needed to wake him for his afternoon tea. With some reassuring words and light touch on his arm I gently woke him up and was met with tears in his eyes and a gentle demeanour. It was like in this moment his dementia had subsided and he went back to his regular happy self. I continued this approach and managed to build a great working relationship with this client in his last days of life. I could tell he appreciated this and in that instant, I knew that the work I was doing could make a difference in someone’s life,” Laila said.

She entered the aged care sector as a volunteer and instantly found her calling. “I loved how I could make a difference in people’s lives and meeting so many great people.” Fifteen years on, she has grown as a person and a professional, and has not gotten over her genuine passion for helping people.

While continuing her role as a support worker, Laila also teaches new students knowledge and skills vital to the aged care industry.

A June 2022 report, Duty of care: Aged care sector in crisis, by CEDA, found that annual staff shortage has doubled in less than a year — escalating from 17,000 to 35,000 due to a combination of challenging pandemic driven circumstances and a lack of action by governments.

Low wages, difficult working conditions and the negative attention the sector has received since the Royal Commission don’t make it even more difficult to attract and retain talent. Laila’s message to those considering working on the aged care industry is that “it is truly a rewarding and satisfying job. Being able to wake up every day and make a difference in people’s lives is not something everyone can do. Each day you will meet new people that have an impact on your life and open your mind to new cultures and ideas.”

Aged care is a way of giving back to society and a way of making a difference in people’s life, according to Laila. “I encourage both people to work in aged care and people to trust us with their family members as I know the high quality of care that a specialist can provide but often the media doesn’t portray. The benefits of working in this sector are the training you receive, the people you meet but most importantly, the changes it makes to you and the perspective it gives you on life.”

Reflecting on a typical day in her life Laila said, “I always start my day with a positive attitude, always looking forward to seeing the clients and making sure I go and see each one of them and greet them on my first round of the floor. I like joking with them to make them feel happy and seeing the smile on their faces brings me joy. From there I begin my work.”

Outside of work, Laila likes to spend time with her family and nine (almost 10) grandchildren, going on long walks to clear her mind and exercising.

Image caption: Laila Kaawi with student Takashi Fujita. Image: Supplied