With the immense impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on day-to-day life here in Australia, it’s become more apparent than ever just how vital the contributions of our frontline workers really are.
Frontline essential workers like paramedics, nurses, carers, and aged care workers from a range of different disciplines, offer their time, skills, and compassion to ensure that the most vulnerable citizens of our population retain their rights to live safely and experience a consistently high quality of life. The least that we can do is say our thanks!
Here are a few ways you can express your appreciation and celebrate the contributions of these everyday heroes.
Celebrate Aged Care Employee Day
There’s no doubt about the fact that aged care workers and residential carers have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic in order to keep elderly and immunocompromised citizens safe. It must be mentioned that aged care workers have also been supporting communities across Australia in ways we can’t always see.
That’s exactly why Aged Care Employee Day was created in 2018. As one of the youngest national days for celebrating the contributions of frontline workers, Aged Care Employee Day is still a relatively new addition to Aussie calendars. Even so, the efforts of our aged care workers over the course of the pandemic has bolstered interest in this annual event, with the Department of Health calling for communities to commemorate the day and share in celebrations together.
Organise community fundraisers and events
Although frontline workers are part of the fraction of Australians who’ve been able to work consistently in person over the past year, their jobs have been indefatigably shaken up by the extraordinary circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, with some frontline workers experiencing abuse or poor treatment by customers, patients, and misinformed members of their communities.
As this is indeed a community issue, the best way to combat it is by utilising the power of community initiatives. Work with your friends and neighbours to create posters and make art advocating for the support of your frontline workers.
You may even decide to start up a fundraiser or host a community event like the Victorian Governor’s Thank You Concert earlier this year. These types of events can ensure your community extends their support to the doctors and nurses at your local hospital, and that they may even support other frontline workers as they continue to carry Australia through these sensational circumstances.
Share your stories on social media
Aged Care Employee Day has the hashtag #ThanksForCaring, and Thank A Paramedic Day has #ThanksAmbos so that citizens looking to participate in these national days can take the opportunity to share their personal stories with frontline workers and first responders on social media.
When you share your personal interactions with these tireless workers, it presents to your wider circle the sheer compassion and community-oriented mindset adopted by frontline workers across all industries. It presents them as dedicated members of your community, and reminds other members of your community that they too have their own heartfelt stories about doctors, nurses, carers, and other essential workers who have supported them through difficult times, and have shown them compassion on a daily basis. Sharing your stories will naturally start a dialogue that’s all about gratitude and ensuring that these people who keep our communities safe and thriving, retain the right to feel just as safe in their day-to-day life as well.
Not only are these national days fantastic opportunities for you to share, but they can also be an incredibly valuable platform for frontline workers to express themselves too! There are countless benefits to nurses sharing their own stories too, including the fact that young people may feel inspired to pursue the noble profession themselves.
Frontline workers like paramedics, nurses, and aged care workers have been intrinsic to ensuring that those closest to us stay safe, not just through the ongoing tumult of the pandemic, but also through all the general chaos of life. They’ve been able to take expert care of and be present with our family and loved ones in times where we may not physically have been able to.
The least that we can do is show our appreciation! Be sure to take the opportunities to show your gratitude for frontline workers through some of the ways we’ve outlined above, or make your own displays of solidarity with your local nurses, carers, and all the other everyday superheroes who keep your community safe and secure.