Home-care workers struggling

By ALEXIS GRANT

New Zealand's shortage of home-care workers could turn into a "meltdown" over the holiday season, leaving some elderly and disabled people without the care they need, say Green MPs.

Sue Kedgley warned that a shortage could risk the health and safety of elderly and disabled people who depend on the service.

Already, five paraplegics from Burwood were unable to return home because there were no caregivers to support them, said Sue Bradford.

"Home-care workers are dangerously overworked to the point where the health and safety of both caregivers and patients are dangerously compromised."

Numbers were unavailable, but the MPs said when caregivers took time off during the summer, it could get even worse.

There are between 30,000 and 60,000 home-care workers in New Zealand, and the demand is growing, said Geoff Annals, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation.

He said low pay was partially to blame for a high turnover rate in the industry.

The Minister for Disability Issues, Ruth Dyson, said she was aware of the problem and agreed the sector was underfunded, despite $1 million devoted to the industry last year by the Ministry of Health.

But simply pumping more money into the sector would not solve the problem.

The best approach involved paying staff more, and addressing costs of travel and recruitment within the industry.

A newly developed national training qualification for caregivers should also help, she said.

A Nurses Organisation survey showed more than 90 per cent of caregivers were extremely dissatisfied with their pay, which averages $11 an hour.

That was lower than other skilled occupations.