The Aged Care Association is calling for an urgent national workforce plan following new immigration changes that providers say could worsen staff shortages across New Zealand’s aged residential care sector.
The organisation says the latest immigration settings risk placing further pressure on already stretched care facilities struggling to recruit and retain nurses, healthcare assistants and support workers.
Aged Care Association chief executive Tracey Martin says the sector is facing mounting workforce challenges at the same time demand for aged care services continues to grow with New Zealand’s ageing population.
Providers warn that tighter immigration pathways and uncertainty around migrant worker settings could make it harder to fill critical frontline roles, particularly in regional and rural communities where staffing shortages are already severe.
The Association says aged residential care facilities are a core part of the country’s healthcare system, providing around-the-clock clinical care to approximately 40,000 older New Zealanders nationwide.
Sector leaders are now urging the Government to develop a coordinated long-term workforce strategy that includes training, immigration planning, funding stability and stronger career pathways for care workers.
The call comes amid broader concerns about pressure across the health sector, including ongoing workforce shortages, ageing infrastructure and increasing demand for hospital and residential care services.
The Association says many providers are operating under significant financial strain while competing internationally for skilled healthcare workers.
Industry groups also warn that without urgent action, shortages in aged care could place additional pressure on public hospitals as older patients struggle to access appropriate long-term care placements.
The latest concerns follow repeated warnings from the sector that aged care needs to be recognised as critical national health infrastructure rather than simply accommodation for older people.
The Government has previously acknowledged pressures facing the sector, but providers say stronger workforce planning and sustainable investment are now urgently needed to avoid deeper staffing and care shortages in the years ahead.
