Attracting and retaining Australia’s aged care workers: developing policy and organisational responses

Abstract

By the year 2060 Australians aged 65 and over will account for one quarter of the population, one in six Australians will be aged 75 or more, and the ‘very old’ (over 80 years of age) will also become more numerous. These statistics indicate that there will be increased demands on the residential aged care workforce in the future and associated labour shortages given the consequent increases in demand for personal care worker services. Moreover, personal care workers (PCWs) are reportedly older than the average age of workers in other fields, further exacerbating these problems. Consequently, this study focuses on both the policy and human resource changes required in the residential aged care sector related to both current and future challenges experienced in attracting and retaining Australia’s ageing aged care workforce. Proposed changes include far-reaching policy development required to underpin improved employment conditions, salaries, training and career pathways as an imperative to care for elderly Australian citizens.