Looking forward: the world of paid care workers
Jane Mears
Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre, University of Western Sydney
Contact Email:   j.mearsuws.edu.au

As the Australian population continues to age, older people and their carers will need more formal support and care. This sector of the workforce, already growing rapidly, will continue to grow. Care work takes place in the privacy of people’s homes, hidden from public gaze. We do not observe care workers going about their daily work. This paper is based on the analysis of data collected for a research project focussing on paid care work. This research opens this ‘private’ world, to public scrutiny to explore and document, from the care worker’s perspective, the world of care work. What do these stories tell us about these care workers, their ability to care and their reflections and understanding of the work they do? Thirty care workers and care coordinators employed by a not-for profit, non-government organisation, have been interviewed. This paper looks at the paid and unpaid work histories of these care workers, how these workers view their work, and the ways they resist and challenge the perception that they are ‘just cleaners’. The implications for care workers, those being cared for, agencies and professionals working in aged care, will be discussed.

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