Catholic Health Australia is urging the Albanese Government to fund a $1.9 billion a year wage rise for the aged care sector’s direct care workers and residential indirect care workers. Source: The Australian.
The Government is under pressure on aged care costs as it faces calls in a looming Fair Work Commission case to fully fund a 25 per cent wage increase for all residential aged care workers.
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells is also expected to release the final report of her aged care taskforce next week, almost three months after it was finalised.
The report is widely anticipated to recommend more means-tested consumer co-contributions from aged care residents for their accommodation and other services such as cleaning and laundry.
With the wage case before the Fair Work Commission, Catholic Health Australia said indirect care workers such as gardeners and administration staff must get a 25 per cent pay rise amid concern that the cohort was yet to receive anything.
The organisation, which represents more than 350 providers, has also called for direct care workers to receive a further 10 per cent increase after the group received a 15 per cent pay increase last year.
In a pre-budget submission, CHA says the sector is finding it “extremely” difficult to attract and retain staff, with estimates suggesting it is facing 60,000 care and nursing vacancies, with that tally projected to hit 110,000 in six years.
CHA says it will be forced to close aged care services if it is unable to get qualified staff at current pay rates.
Writing to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, CHA chief executive Jason Kara said a suite of government reforms had exacerbated workforce shortages. He also noted a massive increase in the use of expensive short-term contract workers in a bid to fulfil strict new staffing reforms, rapidly escalating the cost burden on providers and threatening their viability.
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Cost of aged care living set to rise for wealthy older Australians (By Stephen Lunn and Jess Malcolm, The Australian)
