Aged Care work more than meets the eye
Bianca Bouwhuis provides vital support to older South Australians living in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
As a Locum Care Manager, Bianca supports community customers when their regular care managers go on annual or personal leave. Her role also includes an audit component, ensuring best practice care.
Bianca, who joined ACH Group three years ago in an administration role, said she loved the faith shown in her to progress her career.
“If you want to be challenged, if you want the opportunity to progress your career – ACH Group is a fantastic place to do that,” she said.
“This is a company that not only identifies potential but puts people in positions that challenge them.
“For me there is nothing more rewarding than being given the opportunity to prove yourself.”
Bianca said no one was more surprised than she was to find a career she loved in aged care.
“To be honest I didn’t even know community aged care existed before I started with ACH Group,” she said.
“I think the thing that would surprise people is just how much of what we do is to support people stay at home – it isn’t just residential care.
“I love working in aged care and as a goal oriented and career driven person, I’m really excited about what the future holds for me with ACH Group.”
I started with ACH Group in a back-of-house administration role in our Health Services team.
A few months after starting in this role, it changed significantly to have more of the referrals and scheduling processes completed by a Health Services team member.
I assisted in developing and shaping this role while assisting with covering reception at any one of the three Community Health Studios when needed.
I then moved into the Home Care Team as a Care Manager, and after six months of being in that role and seeing some significant team changes and re-structures, I expressed my interest in progressing and applied for a Locum Care Manager role and was successful.
My role as a Locum Care Manager means no two days are the same. As a Locum Care Manager, I support customers when their regular Care Manager goes on annual or personal leave.
We are an escalation point within our regions/teams to provide support and assistance with matters that arise from day to day, we provide some coaching to our regions/teams as it is needed, and we also complete audits of customers files to ensure they are compliant.
In my role within the Health Services team there wasn’t much opportunity to progress without a clinical background, so I was given the opportunity to complete a Mental Health First Aid Training course and be a Mental Health First Aider for my direct site.
This was not only an incredible opportunity but the course itself was very rewarding. In my role as a Care Manager and a Locum Care Manager, I’ve been provided with opportunities to put my hand up to run meetings in my manager’s absence, as well as continuing to be an escalation point for team members and while maintaining my role as a Mental Health First Aider.
I love that there is a constant and steady stream of challenges every day.
A lot of people believe that aged care doesn’t pay well. There are a lot of roles in aged care that do pay quite well, and most if not all, aged care employers offer salary sacrificing as well, which increases your take home pay each year.
You can also progress a career in aged care quite quickly as well, there are so many opportunities to advance if you are that way inclined.
As with any job you will have bad days and some people will push you to your limits, but every situation is a learning opportunity. I’ve found a huge amount of personal and professional growth with ACH Group
I would like to study a management course and continue to work my way up. I’m waiting for this opportunity to come up with ACH Group again so I can continue to grow as an employee and a person.
Challenging, developmental and rewarding.
With ACH Group, you make a real difference to older people’s lives – and your own.
ACH Group has more than 200 unique roles across care, nursing, allied health, administration, maintenance, corporate and hospitality teams.
Learn about career development at ACH Group as staff share their career stories, showcasing how their experiences lead to fulfilling careers dedicated to supporting people to live good lives.
Join ACH Group and support older people to live good lives – while making your mark on the people within.
