Aged Care

Only a couple of generations ago, it was normal for Australian families to take care of their older members right to the end of their lives. Our parents and grandparents fed, clothed, loved and cared for us, gave us everything we needed to make our way in life and then, when they reached an age where they in turn needed close care, we repaid them by taking them into our homes and looking after them until their dying days.

The world has changed a lot since then. Far more typical now is for the frail and elderly to enter an aged care facility - or even more commonly depend on community care workers visiting them at home.

We hope they will get the best of care from dedicated professional staff and enjoy good quality of life despite the many afflictions that old age can bring: illness, injuries, dementia, failing faculties.

Continue reading "Such little value placed on such a crucial role" »

By mid-century Australia will need almost one million aged care workers. That means almost five per cent of our entire national workforce will be engaged in caring for the burgeoning ranks of the old and frail.

Yet, today, we are struggling to maintain an aged care workforce just one quarter that size, leaving many vulnerable, elderly Australians at the mercy of rushed, impersonal “work flows” and a constantly changing roster of carers—and raising the dreadful prospect of “warehousing” the aged into the future, with little more than perfunctory physical care.

This should not come as a surprise. The entry level award wage for personal carers, for example, is significantly lower than the award for new zookeepers charged with the well being of animals.

Continue reading "By 2065 we’ll need 4 times more aged care workers" »