Seventeen-year-old Cavalli Taotahi-Hohaia takes much satisfaction from her after-school job as a Carer Support Assistant.
Seventeen-year-old Cavalli Taotahi-Hohaia takes much satisfaction from her after-school job as a Carer Support Assistant.
In the face of a national shortage of aged care nurses, a Far North retirement village is seeking more general care staff to undertake non-critical nursing duties, and has created a new entry-level carer position towards that end.
The move will free up more senior staff, so they may relieve pressure on nurses, allowing them to focus mainly on clinical work.
In an effort to increase care staff at all levels of seniority, Kerikeri Retirement Village also recently launched a recruitment campaign targeting school leavers, older people seeking to return to the workforce, and those starting the new year with thoughts of changing careers.
Chief executive Hilary Sumpter described the effort as an essential response to a deeply concerning national skills shortage.
“This shortage is hobbling the aged care sector, particularly those of us operating in the regions,” Sumpter said.
There are currently 66 residents in the village’s care facility - with many more living there as independent residents - looked after by 138-140 staff.
Sumpter said the shortage of aged care nurses was caused by a combination of Government policy and the pandemic.
“For years we’ve had a situation where Government has paid nurses in mainstream hospitals more than those in rest homes and aged care facilities. As a result, we’ve had to rely on immigration to get the staff we needed. Then came Covid and the border closures, so now we’re in recovery mode.”
She also said there had been a post-Covid surge of New Zealanders wanting to get into nursing, but the qualification process takes several years, so carers were needed to fill the gap now.
“We’ve taken a good, hard, granular look at the tasks undertaken by our healthcare assistants, and figured out how we can reduce staff shortage pressures by delegating aspects of their work. This is where the new entry position of Carer Support Assistant comes in.”
Sumpter described the role as an ideal part-time opportunity for secondary school students considering a career in nursing or medicine, who want to learn whether or not they possess the aptitude or appetite for care work.
Cavalli Taotahi-Hohaia is a 17-year-old student at Kerikeri High School, and works as a carer support assistant in the afternoons and early evenings.
“Helping people is what I’m all about,” Taotahi-Hohaia said.
With an interest in studying medicine at university, she views the job as a “really good beginning”.
“I think the work I’m doing at the moment will be a really good start to that.”
She doesn’t consider it tough work setting meal trays, delivering food to residents and sorting laundry, among other light duties, but said an important requirement to work in care was “to actually care”.
“It’s important to be able to bond with the residents; they need someone like that.”
She said her work in care was as much about job satisfaction as it was about the people she looks after.
Sumpter also said the role would suit young people who didn’t plan to study after high school, but sought rewarding work with training and progression pathways.
She said opportunities for career progression were available to people entering at any level of seniority, and also extended to healthcare assistants, who could progress into nursing or other aspects of the care sector - such as different types of therapy, administration or facilities management.
Healthcare assistant Lisa Shepherd, pictured with resident Maera Peters, described her work as being "all about giving each resident the best possible quality of life".
Lisa Shepherd started working at the village as a healthcare assistant. She’s now also responsible for developing and running a range of activities to stimulate residents’ interest.
“That’s one of the great things about a career in care. It can take you down so many interesting pathways,” Shepherd said.
“From full-on nursing through to diversional therapy and physiotherapy. Or, into respite care and in-home support for some of our independent-living residents - or even into property and facilities management, or aged care administration.
“It’s certainly not a static career, that’s for sure.”
A Nurses Organisation delegate at the centre, who did not want to be named, said that there is a struggle to get staff for all aged care facilities, and the young Care Support Assistants are very much appreciated by members, other facility staff, and the residents.
“There is nothing unique about Northland’s struggle for staff in all health facilities, including aged care facilities. It is the same everywhere in New Zealand. I guess one unique thing about Kerikeri is that it is very expensive to live there, and that may have some minor impact on nurses willing to move there.
“We need a focus on better wages and conditions so nurses stop leaving the profession – either for other jobs or to go nursing overseas, where they can earn significantly more in less stressful work environments,” they said.
The village’s operational support manager Cheryl Silich said all care staff undertake general training in areas such as first aid, hygiene, infection control, manual handling of patients and general care training, all through industry-recognised courses and, in many cases, New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) courses.
“We register all staff aspiring to the Healthcare Assistant position for the Certificate in NZ Health and Wellbeing through Careerforce. We will also support and guide them through any training they’re interested in doing beyond that – for instance, the journey towards becoming a registered nurse,” Silich said.
Silich also led the recruitment campaign, and said it was centred around five of the village’s existing care staff, and their relationships with the people they look after.
“It’s designed to spark interest about a career in care and give them a feel for what’s involved,” Silich said.
“The videos make clear the emotional investment required, and describe the type of person who would make a great carer.”
Silich said many of the career opportunities available at the village did not require existing qualifications, and full training and support would be offered.
She said the village offered a ‘no commitment’ work experience shift - with no obligation on either party - for those wishing to come along to experience the work to decide whether they may wish to apply for a position.
Silich urged anyone interested in aged care work to get in touch for a chat.
