The aged care Omicron crisis has developed into a full-blown aged care workforce crisis, with more than 75 per cent of workers saying they intend to leave the industry within five years in a new survey.<\/p>\n
In a United Workers Union snap poll* of more than 1000 aged care workers in South Australia and Queensland, more than two thirds (69 per cent) said the Omicron crisis made them want to leave the aged care sector sooner than they otherwise would have.<\/p>\n
When asked directly whether they intended to leave the aged care sector, more than 75 per cent say they intend to leave:<\/p>\n
The figures mark a huge swing in sentiment by workers about their future in aged care.<\/p>\n
In a 2019 survey almost two thirds of aged care workers (63 per cent) answered \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cprobably yes\u201d when asked if they would be working in aged care in five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAged care workers have been forced to bear the brunt of the Omicron crisis with massive understaffing, double and triple shifts, not enough PPE, not enough RATs and a failed booster program,\u201d Carolyn Smith, National Aged Care Director of United Workers Union, said today.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey rightly feel they have been left unappreciated as they deal with this crisis and deaths that have now occurred in hundreds of facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn an environment of low pay, a lack of job security and the incredible stresses they have faced, aged care workers are saying they want a better future \u2013 and that\u2019s not in aged care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis survey underlines what aged care workers have known for a long time: the Federal Government must take responsibility and fix the issues plaguing aged care \u2013 low pay, understaffing and a lack of respect and recognition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alternative doesn\u2019t bear thinking about \u2013 a workforce crisis leading to a mass exodus that leaves older Australians without the care they need and deserve for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
In other findings in the snap poll:<\/p>\n
Responses by aged care workers to an open-ended survey question:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c[I\u2019m] feeling ripped off with pitiful pay. My son is on the same pay rate at Hungry Jacks. We need more people and better pay to\u00a0 retain staff and be appealing to job seekers.\u201d \u2013 Aged care worker, South Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my first job in aged care,\u00a0have been employed here just over 12 months,\u00a0 since then everything has been going down the hill out of control.\u00a0 Staff are too worried about losing their jobs when they speak up, so they just leave. The turnover here in the last few months is ridiculous.\u201d \u2013 Aged care worker, Queensland<\/p>\n \u201cCare staff being misinformed and treated horribly was bad before Covid, but is especially disappointing and upsetting now when staff are genuinely trying to do the right thing in light of everyone fleeing a sinking ship. Training and planning for an outbreak is totally invisible at a care staff level (if it has been done at all) and RATS and fitted masks were only organised a fortnight AFTER a horribly managed suspected outbreak which turned out to be rhinovirus.\u201d \u2013 Aged care worker, South Australia<\/p>\n Omicron continues to rage in aged care facilities<\/strong><\/p>\n The most recent figures show outbreaks continue in 987 aged care facilities, with 119\u00a0 deaths attributed to Covid among aged care residents in the most recent week and reported Covid cases in residents in the past week increasing by 1506.**<\/p>\n Aged care deaths from Covid have now been reported in more 190 aged care facilities.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n * About the survey: More than 1000 aged care workers responded to a SMS-based survey conducted on Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n ** About the statistics: Statistics are based on the latest Federal Government statistics<\/a> and comparisons between February 10<\/a> and February 3<\/a> daily data reports. An UWU spreadsheet analysing the data is available HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n