The Government’s new Aged Care Industry Agreements offer only a short-term solution for the workforce challenges facing the sector – delivering respect for aged care staff and the work they do should be the long-term goal.
As we reported here, the Agreements are aimed at streamlining the process for aged care providers to sponsor direct care workers on skilled visas – and include an expedited two-year pathway to permanent residency.
With 35% of aged care staff from CALD backgrounds – many from other countries – it’s an attractive proposition.
WA provider Curtin Heritage Living, the first aged care provider to establish an Agreement, says it has received 300 applications in a week.
But will this solve the sector’s workforce woes?
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells told ABC Radio on Tuesday that it was too soon to tell how many new staff would enter the sector via the Agreements.
“It’s far too early for us to try and predict how many workers it will yield. We just know this is the number one thing that providers have been asking us to do,” she said.
There is no doubt that these migration changes will help to drive interest in the sector and offer some relief to aged care providers.
But the reality is this is only a stop-gap.
Nurses not covered by new Agreements
Some of these workers will move onto other jobs once they have their PR.
Nurses – which are in the most demand – are also not included under the Agreements as RNs are still listed on the Skilled Migration List.
Even with the 15% wage rise set to kick in from 30 June, wages for aged care staff still fall short of similar roles in public hospitals.
Combined with the new requirements for 24/7 RNs and mandated care minutes, the workforce shortages are likely to remain acute across personal care and nursing roles – particularly in regional and remote areas.
What will attract ‘people with passion’ to the sector then?
Speaking with ACH Group CEO Frank Weits this week about the implementation of the Green House model of care at their new Healthia precinct, he noted that the main attraction of the model was not its small households but the way it empowered their care workers.
The organisation is recruiting for permanent roles to staff the new facility due to open in six weeks – and has been “overwhelmed” by the response. They are also offering job share opportunities for staff that want flexibility.
Respect required
The other element is respect.
During the Aged Care Royal Commission, experts gave evidence that New Zealand’s 15 to 50% wage rise for aged care workers in 2017 failed to deliver the anticipated increase in staff numbers – because there was no corresponding campaign to lift the perception of aged care work in the community’s eyes.
Should the Government and the peak body also be focusing their attention on driving respect for aged care workers in the wider community?
