Aged care workers want more work

Aged care workers want to work more hours than are currently being allocated, according to a recently released 2007 National Aged Care Workforce Census and Survey report by the National Insitute of Labour Studies.

Produced on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the report shows that if all staff members worked their preferred hours, the number of hours worked would increase by 4%.

The desire for more shifts is strongest in the community care sector where 42% of workers would like to increase their hours – and one in five of those employees wants at least six hours more each week.

In residential care, 28% of direct care staff would like to increase their hours and only 11% per cent wish to work less.

Another significant trend to emerge from the report is a steady reduction in the proportion of registered nurses in the residential aged care workforce,from 21% to 16.8%.

Across the board, aged care workers expressed a reasonable level of job satisfaction but there was widespread disappointment with pay levels.

Community care workers are generally more content than their residential counterparts.

“This is because they spend more of their time in direct care work, they are more able to spend the amount of time they wish with those they care for, they are under less pressure and stress, and they have more autonomy in deciding how to do their work,” the report said.