Building public support for the aged-care campaign: last month's national day of action to launch NZIVO's and the Service and Food Workers" Union Fair Share for Aged Care Campaign saw hundreds of caregivers, nurses and support workers out on the streets, in shopping malls and at railway stations, raising public awareness of the aged-care sector funding crisis.

Caregivers, nurses and support workers from Dargarville to Invercargill were on the streets last month, seeking public support for a new joint union campaign--Fair Share for Aged Care.

The national day of action, organised by NZNO and the Service and Food Workers' Union (SFWU), focused on sending postcards to the Prime Minister calling for increased funding for aged care in this year's budget.

The postcards invite the public to endorse a message that "quality care for older people requires increased government funding for aged care, a well trained workforce, improved staffing levels and fair pay for nurses, caregivers and support staff".

NZNO campaign spokesperson Cee Payne-Harker said the unions expected strong public support for the campaign and have been delighted with the response so far. Thousands of postcards have now been sent to the Prime Minister. "It is in the interests of all New Zealanders that aged care is adequately funded, because that is the only way to ensure we have quality care and safe staffing levels in our rest homes, private hospitals and dementia care homes and fully trained and fairly paid staff," she said. "We have been saying for some time the sector is heading for a crisis, with insufficient money to recruit and retain staff, let atone pay them fairly," she said.

The average hourly rate for caregivers is $10.80. For a caregiver working 40 hours a week, that means a weekly pay of less than $345. Staff turnover is between 30 and 40 percent, with more than 30,000 dependent elderly being cared for in rest-homes, long-stay hospitals and dementia units.

Payne-Harker said the unions wanted to work with government and the providers to solve the funding crisis. "The Prime Minister has identified aged-care funding as a top priority and this is the opportunity for the community to come on board and demonstrate to government that it supports better funding of aged-care and wants a fairly paid, well trained workforce caring for our elderly," she said.

The focus for the day of action continued into Caregivers' Week this month, with a range of activities highlighting the low pay of caregivers and other workers in aged care. During the week and for several weeks following, caregivers, nurses and other support staff were encouraged to send their payslips or copies of their payslips to the Associate Minister of Health Pete Hodgson. Accompanying letters called for significant government increases to the sector, safe staffing levels, and more training opportunities and recognition of training in improved pay.

The unions have calculated that a minimum of $200 million is required to improve pay and conditions in the sector. However, if the recent pay gains in the public sector fair pay settlement were to flow onto the aged-care sector, at least $500 million would be needed. Small amounts of additional funding ($30-50 million) would not address the workforce issues, the unions state.

NZNO's Gerontology Section organised seminars for caregivers in Auckland on March 16 and in Whangarei on March 18. These focused on a range of workforce issues, from dealing with the needs of clients' families to coping with bereavement, re(axation techniques and getting involved in the Fair Share for Aged Care Campaign.