news
‘ Only the beginning ’
Aged care workers to receive up to 5.2 per cent wage increase .
Aged care staff across Australia will receive a pay increase after the nation ’ s industrial umpire increased the national minimum wage .
The Fair Work Commission handed down its annual review which lifted minimum hourly rates from $ 20.33 to $ 21.38 .
This is the equivalent to a pay raise of $ 40 a week and a weekly minimum wage of $ 812.60 .
Workers who are reliant on awards , including most community and home care workers , will receive a 4.6 per cent pay increase .
Newly-established peak body Aged and Community Care Providers Association ( ACCPA ) welcomed the decision , but said the sector could not move forward without direct support from the Commonwealth .
“ Everyone knows aged care workers need a significant pay increase , but without additional support from government aged care providers will continue to face what the royal commission described as
an impossible choice between investing in quality and finding savings to keep the doors open ,” interim ACCPA chief Paul Sadler said .
“ If we don ’ t see urgent action the aged care workforce crisis is simply going to translate into other serious problems like increased closures , or offsets in other areas such as training or investment in facilities .”
During the election , federal Labor committed to fund the Health Services Union ’ s ( HSU ) separate case to lift aged care workers ’ wages by 25 per cent . This case is expected to remain unresolved till 2023 .
According to the HSU , the majority of entry-level aged care workers in Australia are paid about $ 21 an hour .
If a 25 per cent wage rise case passes through , care workers could receive the equivalent of an extra $ 5 per week .
On a recent Twitter post , Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote that the Fair Work decision was “ just the beginning ”.
“ We have more work to do make sure more Australians can get ahead and have real economic security ,” he said . ■
Walking slowly could be a key sign of dementia .
People who walk slower and experience memory problems as they age are at an increased risk of developing dementia , a major global study has found .
Over seven years researchers from Australia and the US studied more than
Walk this way
16,800 people aged over 65 to identify the strongest predictors of a dementia diagnosis .
Participants undertook tests every two years to measure changes in their average walking gait and cognitive abilities .
Those who experienced a five per cent decline in walking speed year by year were at the highest risk of developing dementia . This cohort , known as ‘ dual-decliners ’, also experienced symptoms of cognitive decline including memory loss and decreased speech abilities .
Researchers believe this target group could qualify for future preventative treatments .
“ These results highlight the importance of gait in dementia risk assessment ,” wrote Taya Collyer , a research fellow at Peninsula Clinical School at Monash University .
“ Dual decline in gait speed and a memory measure may be the best combination associated with an accurate assessment of future dementia risk .”
Researchers found that those who slowed down but did not already show signs of cognitive decline were at similar risk to those whose walking speed remained the same .
The study , recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , suggests GPs and clinicians initiate simple memory tests in their practice to help identify those at risk early on .
“ Older persons with dual decline in memory and gait speed should receive further attention to address issues that may increase dementia risk , including evaluation of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors ,” the authors concluded . ■ agedcareinsite . com . au 3