Workers who care for elderly people in rest homes are poorly paid. A report by the Human Rights Commission to the Prime Minister recommended better pay. Many are paid the minimum wage of $13.50 an hour while carers in public hospital get $3 to $5 an hour more. It is not easy work. Many patients need help to wash, dress, walk and feed themselves. Some patients with memory loss can be angry and difficult. Carers are mostly female and perhaps this is the reason for low pay.
Health care workers who visit elderly people in their own homes are also poorly paid. They also do not get paid enough for petrol and travel time. Some of these carers start work at 7am, visiting people who need help to have a shower and get dressed. Then the health care worker visits again in the evening to help the patient get undressed for bed.
Other recommendations in the report include the need for more male workers. The report also recommended that countries like the Philippines where many carers come from, have good information about our qualifications. There are qualifications for health care workers and the report recommended that all workers have Level 3 qualifications within 18 months of starting a job.
The Prime Minister will now have to consider the report.
Grammar
recommend /suggest + noun (not a person) or ‘that they have / do …’ You cannot say ‘he suggested me / recommended me’. Instead, use ‘that’: ‘he suggested that I …’
Questions
Why did the report recommend the need for more male workers?
Are female jobs usually poorly paid?
If workers spend 20 minutes travelling between patients’ homes, should they be paid travelling time?
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