Aged care in Australia is currently one of the most understaffed, under-skilled, and underfunded industries. By 2058, the number of Australians over the age of 85 is expected to rise over 50%, making quality aged care more crucial than ever.

“It is actually this truth that made me want to become a geriatric physiotherapist”, says Tim, a physio at a private nursing home in Melbourne. 

Working with older people for the past decade, Tim finds the work extremely rewarding, and he has never been short of work.

“Because the aged care sector is so severely understaffed, there is plenty of work for me. It’s a good thing I love my job!” remarks Tim.

“Before I got into this profession, I think my thoughts on nursing homes were very different. I thought it was a place where an older person went to live out their days. But I have learnt that it is so much more. Working in the aged care sector enables us to give people a new lease on life.”

Many of the residents that Tim sees have suffered from a stroke, which affects their mobility. Physiotherapy is crucial in their recovery process.

“I have this one patient – an 87-year-old diabetic. She is the sweetest woman and is always so appreciative of the health care she receives. It is people like her who truly make working in aged care worth it. She always greets me with a huge smile, and the progress I have witnessed her make from a few months ago to now is remarkable,” says Tim.

Tim usually starts his day by checking in with patients, reviewing notes and discussing patient progress.

“This usually involves communicating with other health care staff and the patient’s family members. I often update the nurses on the patient's progress and chat with the patient’s spouse or children about how they are doing. I think it is so important to keep family members in the loop. It fosters a sense of trust and emotional support and allows family members to make informed decisions about their loved ones.  It is a part of my job I really enjoy”.

“Throughout the day, I continuously assess patients, checking their physical condition, mobility, strength and balance. I use a gait belt a lot of times with my patients, which is often needed as many of them have had strokes and are paralysed in parts of their body” explains Tim.

However, like any job, there are challenges that many geriatric physio’s deal with. Limited resources is the biggest hurdle, as well as receiving complex cases, which is common with aged care patients.

“I mean, this industry is simply so underfunded and sometimes I feel like I am banging my head against a wall. It is up to me so ensure that all my patients are receiving the best care possible and when I am limited with resources, it can be frustrating. While I see complex cases as a challenge, sometimes they are also really interesting and a learning curve – which is positive for my career growth. I had a man who I treated last year. He was 85 years old, a diabetic with Parkinson’s disease and he’d suffered from a stroke that had paralysed half of his body. Treating him was complex, and his rehabilitation was long, with many hiccups along the way. That can be hard for me, as I want to see my patients make progress,” says Tim.

Tim has some musings for those who want to specialise in geriatrics – whether it is in physiotherapy or another medical field:

“Older people are the best. They’ve seen it all, and they share some real pearls of wisdom with you. I have learnt so much from my patients, and I am grateful to be able to work with them so closely”.