Migration Alliance proposes Live-In Caregiver Visa programme

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Created on Friday, 29 November 2013 16:16

Written by Editorial staff

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed that life expectancy in our country is higher than it's ever been.

It's latest facts and figure show the average male in Australia will make it to approximately 79.9 years old, while the average female can expect to live for 84.3 years.

"Australia's life expectancy at birth continues to be amongst the highest in the world," explained Director of Demography Bjorn Jarvis in a November 7 statement.

"The combined male and female figure of 82.0 years, while a little lower than Japan and Hong Kong, is higher than Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA."

This increase in life expectancy means Australia is now faced with an ageing population, which brings with it a variety of challenges.

One of the biggest, highlighted by the Parliament of Australia, is the fact that "many older people wish to remain in their homes and supported in the community for as long as they are able".

As the number of older people rises across the country, the amount of live-in caregivers will need to increase, too.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics also shed some light on the number of people living with disabilities in our country.

In 2012, when the last Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers was conducted, there 4.2 million people in Australia who identified as disabled. That equates to 18.5 per cent of the population.

Of those, revealed the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1.4 million had a "profound or severe limitation affecting mobility".

These statistics reveal a growing need for live-in caregivers in Australia.

While, at last count, there were 2.7 million people in Australia providing informal care to older people and those with disabilities or long-term health conditions, we are going to need more in future.

That's why Migration Alliance feels a Live-In Caregiver Visa programme should be introduced in Australia.

Canada has been successfully operating such a programme for many years now, and it could be invaluable in relieving the pressure on Down Under's current supply of carers.

Australian migration agents who would like to learn more or let us know what they think about our proposed Live-In Caregiver Visa programme might want to take part in this survey.