SYDNEY, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Australia may not have enough experienced aged care workers to meet rapidly growing demand, with lower paid and underskilled workers expected to fill the roles of trained nurses, a new study suggested.
Released on Friday by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, the study examined the healthcare sector in the state of Western Australia (WA), including the supply and demand for healthcare services and the workforce that delivers these services to WA and Australia.
The number of people in residential aged care in WA with complex health care needs increased from 12.7 percent in 2008 to 51.8 percent in 2017, with the number of relevant staff falling well behind.
Lead author Professor Alan Duncan said the findings suggest that "a substitution effect of low-skilled workers for higher-skilled tasks is occurring in the Australian aged care sector, which represents a risk to both those undertaking the care work and those being cared for."
Workplace stress and low job satisfaction could be affecting rates of uptake and retention in healthcare workers, Duncan suggests, with research into these areas indicating too much pressure is being placed on staff.
"Signs of increasing poor physical health and psychological distress among health care and support workers, coupled with falling shares of the workforce being very satisfied with their jobs, could indicate a sector where employees are not given adequate support," Duncan said.
Study co-author Professor Astghik Mavisakalyan said that preventative measures should be addressed to relieve strain on aged care workers and the healthcare industry in general.
"With an ageing population and an increase in the instances of preventable health conditions, there is a strong economic rationale to invest in health research, particularly in the area of preventative healthcare," Mavisakalyan said.
As of the beginning of 2018, the healthcare industry was Australia's biggest employer, accounting for 13.7 percent of the total workforce.
