Australia’s aged care charities employ more than 170,000 people, according to new a report released by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
The report, Australia’s Aged Care Charities in 2015, was produced by the ACNC in collaboration with the Centre for Social Impact and the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. Australia’s Aged Care Charities in 2015 is a sub-report of the Australian Charities Report, an annual analysis of the data reported by charities in their Annual Information Statement.
ACNC Commissioner Susan Pascoe welcomed the report, which highlights the contribution aged care charities make to the community.
“Australia’s aged care industry supports over 1.3 million older people, and is growing rapidly,” Pascoe said.
“Even though aged care charities only account for 2.9% of all registered charities, they make a significant difference to the community. “While many aged care charities focus on the delivery of residential aged care and home care services, some undertake a much wider range of activities – including providing cultural and recreational opportunities, social services and religious services.”
The Australia’s Aged Care Charities in 2015 report profiled 1,465 registered charities that listed their main activity as aged care services in the 2015 Annual Information Statement.
“The ACNC’s latest report found that aged care charities tend to be larger than most, with combined income of over $12.5 billion,” Pascoe said.
“Similarly, aged care charities employ 170,000 Australians – over 10% of the charity sector’s workforce.”
Aged care charities are supported by the generosity of Australians.
“Australia is often recognised as one of the most charitable nations in the world,” Pascoe said.
“Our aged care charities benefit from over $160m in donations and bequests each year, and 93% reported that they had active volunteers.”
Pat Sparrow, Chief Executive Officer of Aged & Community Services Australia said the report highlights the important role aged care charities play, both socially and economically.
“This report identifies the multiple ways aged care charities make an economic and social contribution many times their relative size,” Sparrow said.
“For instance, although aged care charities make up just 2.9 per cent of all registered charities, they account for 9.3 per cent of the charity sector’s total income. They also constitute 14.1 per cent of all the charity sector’s employees.
“Importantly, not-for-profit organisations provide great care to thousands of older Australians, while also providing employment opportunities for more than 170,000 people.”