Department of Health and Aged Care's launch Aged Care Worker Survey 2024
According to the Department, the survey will take about 20 minutes to complete and is an opportunity for workers to tell them what is working well and not so well in the sector.
The Aged Care Worker Survey 2024 is available to aged care workers who provide one-on-one care including nurses, personal and home care workers, allied health professionals and independent contractors working in the following aged care programs:
- Residential aged care
- Home Care Packages Program
- Commonwealth Home Support Program
- Multi-purpose Service Program
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
The survey is also open to independent contractors, agency and labour hire staff working in aged care.
"The data we collect will help shape policies to improve the experience of working in aged care and encourage workers to remain within the sector. It will enable us to deliver better outcomes for all aged care workers now and into the future,” state the department.
Staffing is likely to be a fundamental problem for the aged care sector although the issue of inadequate pay especially for direct care workers looks to be outdated after the Fair Work Commission on Friday, 15 March, awarded about 250,000 aged care workers pay rises of up to 14%. Direct care workers already received 15% extra on 1 July 2023.
Another 80,000 indirect carers, with cleaning, laundry and cooking roles, were awarded 3% to 7% increases, which left aged care leaders upset at the inequality of the pay rises.
The survey is open from 18 March to 30 April 2024. All answers to the survey will be confidential.
