Aged-care job crisis looming

The Salvation Army is warning New Zealand is teetering on the edge of an elder care crisis and the industry will need at least 18,000 workers to cater for the ageing population.

In a report called Finding a Better Balance, the Salvation Army and Auckland aged-care facility St Andrew’s Village said the industry faced a serious staffing shortage.

Report co-author Alan Johnson, of The Salvation Army, said one of the main problems hindering recruitment was what he called the unjust immigration status of migrant aged-care workers.

Aged-cared facilities are heavily reliant on migrant workers, who are often on temporary visas.

Johnson said law changes in April meant staff on temporary visas would have to reapply for visas every year and after three years leave the country for at least 12 months.

‘‘Despite many of these people showing a long-term commitment to New Zealand and to their employers it is already difficult for aged-care workers to get residency in New Zealand and the new laws make it harder to recruit and retain staff.’’

St Andrew’s Village HR manager Lee Keegan said it was disappointing the industry was facing workforce challenges.

‘‘There’s been no planning for this generation and I think it shows a lack of value for the elderly.’’

Keegan explained the aged care industry was female-dominated and it was a challenging profession.

‘‘You need to have life skills to do this job, 58 per cent of patients die within six months of arriving. Someone fresh out of school isn’t going to cope with that.’’

She said only one New Zealand citizen had applied for a position

"There's been no planning for this generation and I think it shows a lack of value for the elderly."

St Andrew's Village HR manager Lee Keegan

in the past three years.

An aged-care worker, who asked for his full name not be used, said he feared for his future as he faced being forced to return to the Philippines.

Ed has lived in New Zealand with his wife and two children for the past 11 years and worked as a health care assistant since he arrived.

His two children were now adults and he was a grandfather.

But the changes to immigration laws in April meant he did not qualify as a skilled migrant and would have to leave in three years.

‘‘It’s scary thinking we may have to leave the country we now consider our home.’’

Ed trained as a healthcare assistant in the Philippines and holds a Filipino qualification in public administration. St Andrews have supported him to complete the first year of a Bachelor of Nursing qualification but because of the cost and time pressure he hasn’t been able to complete the course.

In 2014 he tried to get permanent residency in his role as a healthcare assistant but was unsuccessful because of the low status given to this occupation.

He said that if he and his wife had to return to the Philippines he didn’t know what the future would hold.

‘‘I’m 52 years old and would be competing with people half my age for work. In the Philippines age is a big factor in getting hired.’’