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Older Australians and the workers caring for them deserve respect

 Australia’s aged care crisis

Aged care workers work hard every day caring for older people despite poor pay, short-staffing, heavy workloads and insecure jobs. COVID19 has shone a spotlight on the crisis in aged care, but this crisis has been decades in the making. Years of funding cuts by previous governments, and providers putting profits before the care of older Australians, has led to the current crisis. 

“All aged care workers need to be respected and paid a decent wage for the important role they do in caring for our older Australians.  It’s time for us all to stand up and support each other”

 

– Jen, care worker and UWU member, Queensland.

It’s time to change aged care 

Aged care workers are stepping up their campaign to Change Aged Care with good jobs, fair pay and enough care time to deliver the quality care older Australians deserve.

Together we can change our workplaces for the better!

If you work in Aged Care, joining your union is the most impactful way you can support our aged care campaign – our fight is only as strong as our members!

Aged Care workers ARE FIGHTING FOR THESE 5 key campaign demands:

A care-time guarantee must give older Australians the safety, dignity and respect they deserve.

A care-time guarantee must:

  • Be legally enforceable.
  • Meet the quality care needs of older Australians.
  • Give aged care workers enough time to care.

Jobs with time to care must give older Australians:

  • Trusted relationships with care staff, because continuity of care is essential to quality care.
  • A secure workforce in which workers are not rushing the elderly in their care.
  • A secure workforce in which workers know they have enough hours to live on.

Quality care for older Australians means valuing the hard work and skills of aged care workers.

Quality care for older Australians means a well-trained workforce with the skills to do their work.

Aged care workers provide quality care and work above and beyond the call of duty.

It’s only fair their voices are given respect in the workplace.

We need financial transparency and accountability for providers to ensure profits are not put ahead of quality care.

Are you ready to be a part of the fight?

If you work in Aged Care you have a powerful role to play in driving the change older Australians need.

1. Join your union

UWU is your union for aged care, home care and disability support. Our members power the campaign, in addition to receiving a range of member benefits including support at work when you need it.    Join online today

2. Take action today

Join thousands of aged care workers across Australia and take regular online actions to amplify our campaign and drive change.   Take action

3. Share your story on Aged Care Watch

Aged Care Watch allows us to track and visually represent the hundreds of thousands of understaffing and workload issues in aged care across Australia. Next time you encounter an issue at work, register it on Aged Care Watch to increase community awareness and put real pressure on decision-makers to fund more care-time.  Visit Aged Care Watch 

If you don’t work in Aged Care, you can still support our campaign.

Aged Care affects all Australians. Most of us have a family member or friend in Aged Care, and one day it may be us needing care.

1. Sign on your support for our campaign at the top of this page
2. Help us get the word out – follow and share our campaign on Facebook

TOGETHER, WE WILL CHANGE AGED CARE