'Broken, shattered': Aged care worker pens brutally honest post about her shift

An aged care worker has detailed the gruelling workload she and her colleagues face on a daily basis, claiming many in the industry are left “shattered” as a result.

In a now viral Facebook post, Tahlia Stagg, from the northern NSW coastal town of Coffs Harbour, explains at length the endless list of tasks she must try to complete in a timeframe she describes as unfeasible.

Aged care facilities and their workers have come under scrutiny during the ongoing aged care royal commission.

Ms Stagg says her day begins at 6.30am when she is tasked with getting 11 residents at the breakast table for 8am.

That's 8 minutes and 18 seconds per resident,” she explained, highlighting 16 steps including showering them and transferring them to their wheelchair, it takes to reach the dining room.

This is all before her other 13 bed-ridden patients have even been seen to.

As she continues her day with similar intensity, she routinely leaves beyond her finish time of 3pm without a break and without compensation for her overtime.

Ms Stagg explains how paperwork is a key part of the job but there simply isn’t enough time to do it.

“You try to type your way though chart after chart, but the buzzers never stop, the phone is always ringing,” she explains, with all 24 residents insistent on going to the bathroom at the same time.

The harsh realities of the industry

While Ms Stagg insisted her post wasn’t “a dig” at her workplace, she said it was the simple reality of the industry.

And with such time constraints she says the perception of workers’ commitments is skewed – whether that be in the media or from residents’ family.

“The media will have you believe that aged care workers are negligent, incompetent, and lacking in skills,” she says.

“Yes, there's a few stinkers in the bunch, and that is 100% not okay.

“But you don't see what goes on behind closed doors, so you are forced to believe only what the media portrays.”

She used an example to highlight how relatives can jump to conclusions about the quality of care.

“As you type your notes, a resident is spilling his drink, straight down the front of his pants. You don't see this, but his family do,” she explains.

“They've arrived (yep, right now) for a visit. They do not see the spilled cup under the table, just the wet patch on his pants.

“They come charging in to speak to you, they use a stern and unimpressed tone.”

Workers go the extra yard ‘behind closed doors’

While copping an earful from relatives over a lack of dignity, Ms Stagg says families are unaware of the extra effort that staff go to in a bid to ensure residents’ comfort.

“They don't see us hold the hands of a man with Parkinson's to ease his shakes just for a moment. They don't see us sing quietly to their favourite old song as we feed them breakfast.

“They don't see us cry as we comb the hair of a resident who has just passed away, trying to make them look presentable for their family.

“They don't see us go home as a broken, shattered human who has seen more in one day than a lot of people will see ever!”

She said professionals in the industry are “working harder than you know” and that it was demoralising for people to assume otherwise.

Ms Stagg urged people to reevaluate their stance on the industry and take into consideration all the unseen work they do daily.

‘We have good hearts’

“Please believe the majority of us have good hearts and look after and love your family members as our own,” she said, noting she “loved” her job despite her endless days.

Her post quickly resonated across Facebook, with over 70,000 shares in just two days.

Ms Stagg claims she was asked to remove it, but shared it again last week, receiving more admiration for her honest post while other aged care workers thanked her for shedding light on the industry.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself! Well done Tahlia. I worked in the industry for many years and know exactly where you are coming from!” one person said.

“I wish there were more angels like you in this under-appreciated and undervalued profession. People like you restore our faith in the meaning of caring for our most vulnerable,” another said.

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