Content area
Full Text
Abstract
Residential aged care has become an issue of critical interest in developed countries, including Australia and New Zealand, due to an ageing population and workforce. The ageing population has contributed to concerns about ensuring a sustainable labour supply to the sector. A key barrier to a sustainable workforce in residential aged care in Australia and New Zealand is the physically and emotionally demanding work, which is undervalued and low paid. This article compares the regulatory frameworks for residential aged care in New Zealand and Australia, and considers why, despite different environments, the outcomes for residential aged care workers are very similar. There is scant comparative research in residential aged care, particularly between New Zealand and Australia. This article provides an important overview of the regulatory environment in a sector that is increasingly important to the public, policy makers and researchers.
Introduction
Across the developed world, governments are contending with the policy challenges associated with an ageing population. The extent of the problem is starkly illustrated in OECD figures, and its impact of workforce and retirement policy in general (OECD, 2006). These demographic trends are reflected in Australia and New Zealand where government-sponsored reports have delineated the extent of demographic change and the implications of this change for the provision of social services, specifically aged care services (Badkar, 2009; Commonwealth of Australia, 2004; 2010; Grant Thornton, 2010; Productivity Commission 2008; 2011).
In Australia and New Zealand, particular attention is being paid to the issue of attracting and maintaining a suitable workforce to deliver services to the aged, either in their own home or in residential care facilities (Grant Thornton, 2010; Productivity Commission, 2008; 2011). The demand for aged care is, of course, underscored by the same ageing population that is predicted to leave both countries with critical labour and skills shortages, particularly in aged care (Badkar, 2009; Carryer, Hansen & Blakey, 2010; Kiata, Kerse & Dixon, 2005; Lazonby 2007; Productivity Commission, 2011).
Aged care services are publicly funded on both sides of the Tasman; consequently, the growth in demand for services raises two important public policy questions. The first about the sustainability of the aged care sector, and the second about the responsibility of national governments to guarantee the quality of care provided...