Working in aged care is undoubtedly a challenging job, filled with emotional highs and lows, but it’s also a treasure trove of heartwarming and downright hilarious moments.
From the quirks of dementia to the unexpected wit of residents, carers often find themselves in situations where laughter is the only option. Here’s a collection of light hearted tales from the frontlines of aged care, proving that even in the toughest moments, humour shines through.
Quick quips and cheeky comebacks
Residents in aged care often have a knack for delivering one-liners that catch carers off guard.
Take the carer who dressed up as a witch for Halloween, proudly asking a resident, “Do I look like a witch in this hat?” Without missing a beat, the resident replied, “You don’t need the hat.”
Or the time a carer was making a resident’s bed when he leaned over and said in a thick Aussie drawl, “Don’t you fart now, darling, will ya?” The cheekiness doesn’t stop there. One lady, while being helped at the table, ran her hand up a carer’s thigh and declared, “Gosh, you have a big vagina!” before bursting into laughter. What do you even say to that?
Then there’s the 99 year old woman who, one evening, turned to her carer and announced, “I think I’m getting my period.” Another resident, with equal conviction, explained she couldn’t get up because she was “giving birth to twins.” These unexpected quips remind us that age doesn’t dim a sense of humour or a vivid imagination.
You can only laugh
Some moments in aged care are so absurd that laughter becomes the only response.
Picture a new carer, eager to impress on her first night shift, being told by an experienced nurse to “clean the residents’ teeth.” In a burst of efficiency, she went room to room, collecting everyone’s false teeth in a bucket, planning to scrub them all at once.
It was only when she returned, bucket in hand, that the nurse pointed out the flaw: “Now we’ve got no idea whose teeth are whose!”
The image of a carer standing there, holding a sloshing bucket of dentures, is one for the ages.
Then there’s the dementia gentleman who strolled in from the courtyard, beaming with pride as he handed his carer a slipper, someone else’s naturally, containing a “work of art”: a poo adorned with sticks and leaves. His delight was infectious, even if the slipper’s owner might’ve disagreed.
Another carer recalled a bedridden resident who, while being fed breakfast, asked her to do some Christmas shopping: three boxes of biscuits and a six pack of beer. When asked who the beer was for, the resident grinned and said, “For me!” Cheers to that.
Mischief and misadventures
Residents often keep carers on their toes with their antics. One mobile gentleman decided to test his carers by slipping out the back door and walking a kilometre home.
When they tracked him down, he casually remarked, “I was timing you to see how long it would take you to find me.” The stress he caused was lost on him, but the story lives on.
Another man liked to park his wheely walker against the corridor wall and lie underneath, “repairing his tractor,” much to the amusement of passing staff.
In a small respite house, a male resident was about to have a shower when the carer asked him to take his clothes off. He looked at her and replied, “Why? Are we going to have sex?” The carer’s quick thinking turned it into a laugh rather than an awkward moment.
Meanwhile, in a low care hostel, two residents, a 95 year old and a 98 year old, spent their days perving on workmen building a nursing home out back.
When the younger one wondered aloud what was being built, the 98 year old replied, “It’s a nursing home, but don’t worry, it’s only for the oldies.” The irony was too much for the carer, who nearly wet herself laughing.
Love, laughter, and lost teeth
Romance and chaos often go hand in hand. One carer shared the story of two residents with dementia who became inseparable the moment the woman arrived.
It turned out they’d been husband and wife decades earlier, divorced and remarried others, only to reunite, oblivious to their past, in a flurry of rekindled affection.
Meanwhile, in a homecare setting, a carer was making a client’s bed when something skittered across the floor. She couldn’t find it and mentioned it to the client’s son, who brushed it off, until the little dog trotted in, happily chewing the client’s false teeth.
Another carer, new to the job, was sent to “get Mr Walker.” Dutifully, she went to fetch the resident, only to learn they’d meant his walker, not the man himself. Trial by fire, indeed.
Dementia’s quirks
Dementia often brings a surreal twist to daily life. One carer tended to a man who insisted every night that his dogs, sometimes specific ones, needed to be taken out, and the farm animals secured.
The staff played along, assuring him all was well before he’d settle. Another night shift carer crept into a room to check on a resident, only for the lady to whisper, “Are you God?”
And then there’s the woman who, mid toileting, belted out, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus,” punctuated by an almighty fart. The carer couldn’t hold it together, and who could blame her?
That same resident once crawled under a table to retrieve dropped bingo counters, prompting a cheeky, “My, you’ve got a big arse!” followed by a playful smack. Her endless jingles, like “You’ll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent,” kept the laughter flowing.
These stories, shared by carers far and wide, highlight the joy tucked into the corners of aged care. It’s a job that demands resilience, but the reward is often a belly laugh and a tale to tell.
Whether it’s a bucket of teeth, a slipper full of surprises, or a 98 year old dismissing “oldies,” these moments remind us that humour is a universal language, even in the twilight years.
