Workplace flexibility as carer numbers grow
Finding a paid job is hard enough for older people but for older carers it can be even harder, with caregiving responsibilities preventing nearly half of them from seeking paid work or building their super.
The National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre report, A Juggling Act: older carers and paid work in Australia, said that unlike child care, the workload of elder care increases over time.
The report used data from a 2011/12 study of more than 3,000 Australians showing that 28% aged 45-74 were providing care for either a child or an adult and more than half were providing care for 20 or more hours per week.
But the numbers of older people were set to rise dramatically with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showing over-65s outnumbering children under 15 by 2030 and over-85s making up 4% of the population by 2040, compared with only 2% in 2012.
“All this begs the question: who will help these older Australians and how can the carers take care of themselves when the time comes,” National Seniors chief executive, Michael O’Neill, said.
“One in three carers has an illness, injury or disability and nearly half – mostly women – are caring for someone with a long-term illness or disability.
“Finding a paid job is hard enough for older people but for older carers it can be even harder, with caregiving responsibilities preventing nearly half of them from seeking paid work or building their super.”
The report found just more than half of those surveyed who were caring for an adult said they had difficulty in accumulating super, either because their caring duties prevented them from seeking paid work or from working more hours.
“It’s been estimated that Australian carers forgo $4.9 billion in potential income due to their caring responsibilities,” Mr O’Neill said.
“Flexible working hours would enable 61% of them to work an average of 18 hours a week.
“And if all these people were able to find paid work, the number of employed people aged 45-74 years would increase by 4%.
“That translates into a lot of savings for tax payers and some much needed financial security for carers at home doing an invaluable job.”
