Our new course, the Certificate of Aged Care Counselling, will enable you to understand these issues with compassion and empathy and provide the appropriate support for those approaching or already in their ‘twilight’ years.

The study of aged care is of immense value to society. The world’s population is not only expanding, but the proportion of the population classified as ‘elderly’ is also increasing, particularly in developed countries. Depending on our health, where we were born, and our access to healthcare services, we tend to live longer. However, as people age, they encounter specific changes and challenges that necessitate the expertise of professionals to support them, and this demand is increasing. 

Learning Outcomes

• Ageing and Human Development
• Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
• Physical Health and Lifestyle
• Relationships and Social Support
• Counselling Approaches for Older Clients
• Grief, Loss and Bereavement
• Terminal Illness and End-of-Life Support
• Ethics, Consent and Professional Boundaries

Why Study This Course?

This course may be studied by itself or as part of higher-level qualifications, and is aimed at those working in, or hoping to work in:

• Aged care
• Health care 
• Homecare 
• Counselling roles
• Psychology roles
• Carer roles
• Community services 

You also don’t have to be working in the industry to study this course. An aged care counselling certificate can also be of benefit if you are looking to expand your professional development in terms of caring for an aging parent, relative, neighbour or friend.

Trends in Life Expectancy 

 Life expectancy is the most commonly used measure to describe population health, reflecting the overall mortality level of a population. It measures how long a person is expected to live based on the current age and sex-specific death rates. In summarising mortality patterns, it is often expressed as the number of years of life, from birth, that a person is expected to live.

 In Australia, life expectancy has improved dramatically for both sexes in the last century. According to the World Health Organisation, as of 2018, the life expectancy of males in Australia is around 81 years and for females, 84.8 years. This is compared to people born in the mid-1930s, where the average life expectancy was 63.5 years for men and 67.1 years for women! 

Fun Facts

The oldest person in history, whose age has been independently verified, was Jeanne Calment of France, who was 122 years of age when she died in 1997. As of January this year, the oldest living person is Chitetsu Watanabe of Japan. Born in January 1903, she is 117 years old and is the only verified living person who was alive when the Wright brothers took their first powered flight in an aircraft. 

Anyone who reaches the age of 100 is known as a centenarian. However, those who have reached 110 are supercentenarians, which we think is SUPER impressive! 

Would you like to help older people get the most out of their twilight years? Put your compassion, knowledge and skills to wonderful use with our Aged Care Counselling.