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Thursday, May 10

Carers Deserve a Better Rate of Pay, Says Home Care Agency

National private home care agency Miranda Smith Homecare is supporting calls to increase rates for carers working in the residential and in-home care sector. A draft Human Rights Commission report obtained by Radio New Zealand says staff working in residential facilities and in home-based community support barely earn the minimum wage.

The report says those doing the same work for district health boards get about 16 percent more than their counterparts.

Miranda Smith Homecare says those caring for the elderly are a vital part of the community. Some have been doing the work for many years and their pay rates should reflect that.

Managing director Miranda Smith says it’s important that carers are competent and committed to clients.

“It’s difficult to get an acceptable level of service when those carers are barely being offered enough to look after themselves,” she says. Ms Smith says it’s also important to give recognition to competent and long-serving carers.

Miranda Smith Homecare already pays contracted carers well above the minimum wage and is currently in the process of rolling out rate increases around the country.

Grey Power and the Aged Care Association are also both pressing for the issue of low wages and wage inequality in the care sector to be addressed.

ENDS

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