The aged care boost older Australians are celebrating
Aged care nurses are set to receive a 15 percent pay increase from July, in an aim to keep facilities afloat and provide 24/7 care to older Australians.
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Today, older Australians and aged care workers are high-fiving, because the 15 percent wage increase for staff has been confirmed by the Federal Government ahead of the May 9 Budget for 2023 – 2024.
The boost, which would see Registered Nurses making an extra $200 dollars a week, will be rolled out from July 1.
The July 1 date is also the deadline for the required on–site presence of a Registered Nurse at all-hours in every aged care facility.
Aged Care Minister, Anika Wells, had previously said that 1-in-20 facilities would be unable to meet the July quota.
The 24/7 Registered Nurse on-site requirement has been a concern for care providers and has been cited as a key reason for the closure of the three remaining Wesley Mission residential aged care facilities in April.
The pay increase will hopefully prevent the displacement of those receiving care, as facilities will be able to offer a fairer wage to keep and attract staff.
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patricia Sparrow, says that the long-awaited move will improve the state of the aged care system.
“The aged care workforce is essential to ensuring the health, wellbeing and dignity of tens of thousands of older Australians. Older people know that paying workers fairly for the job they do is crucial,” says Ms Sparrow.
CEO of the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), Tom Symondson, is glad that the pay increase will increase by 15 percent from July, rather than the original plan.
Originally, the Government wanted to roll out over 12 months — with 10 percent this year and 5 percent next year — however, the recent announcement has come as a sigh of relief for the ACCPA.
“We know that the demand for workers in aged care will double by 2050, so we are grateful the Government has recognised that we need to do all we can now to reward aged care staff for the important work they do every day” says Mr Symondson.
When the Federal Budget is delivered on May 9, older Australians will be keen to see how this change, along with JobSeeker for those over 55 and superannuation announcements will shape the coming year.
