Opinion: Looming crisis bad news for the elderly

Aged-care work is a hard job and should be valued as such. Photo/Getty Images

It seems like everywhere you look in Tauranga, another rest home or retirement village is popping up.

Large plots of land are being snapped up all over the place and developed into homes for the recently retired and elderly populations in our city.

It's no secret that we're home to a growing number of over 65s here in Tauranga - or, as some jokingly call it, God's waiting room.

But new figures released by the New Zealand Aged Care Association paint a worrying picture.

Our infrastructure and resources aren't keeping up with growing demand for aged-care facilities.

The figures show they Bay's already stretched industry will need nearly 2690 more beds in the next eight years.

In that time, another 1670 caregivers will be needed - more than 200 workers a year.

In my view, aged care is an undervalued and underpaid industry.

Looking after people in the twilight of their lives is a privilege - and it's hard work.

It's physical: There's a lot of lifting and carrying to be done.

It's emotional: You're dealing with vulnerable people in their last years, growing close to them and their families and having to deal with the inevitable eventual decline and loss.

It's sometimes unpleasant: Cleaning up after people is hard enough when they're babies and not yet sentient, imagine how hard it is having to wipe the bottom of an older person who is aware of what is happening and frustrated at needing others' help with basic tasks.

There's a reason that it's getting harder to find people to fill these jobs - it's a difficult job for pretty low pay, although this is starting to change.

But I think there's still a long way to go.

Our valuable care workers need to be paid what they deserve - or our elderly will suffer for it.