The Aged Care Association says the sector is in crisis, with a huge shortage of nurses and a growing aged population which is expected to more than double in the next two decades.The association says registered nurses are leaving for better paid jobs with district health boards and it wants the Government to plug the pay gap now. "We are in a really dire situation. We've got nurses doing double shifts, we've got retired nurses being pulled back into the workforce," Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace said. The association says in 20 years there will be a quarter of a million elderly Kiwis over 85. That's up from around 85,000 now and rest homes might have to close their doors if staffing issues aren't addressed. Read more Aged Care sector at crisis point
