Demand for more carers in Southland

Published 3 Mar 2017

Southland’s aging population is demanding more carers in the region.  Good Partners chief executive Jide Samuel said there was a “huge” need for carers in Southland.  With the region’s population living longer, there was a need for more caregivers to look after people in their old age, he said.

Yesterday, 10 students from Good Partners Homecare and Nursing graduated with a level three New Zealand certificate in health and wellbeing.  Guests gathered at the Pacific Islanders Advisory & Cultural Trust to celebrate the work put in from the graduates.

Careerforce workplace adviser for Otago and Southland, Sue Connor said as the population aged there was more dependence on support for the elderly, disabled, people with dementia or head injuries.

 It was a proud day for the women who balanced work, study, and their day-to-day lives and had come out with a qualification, she said.  The graduates’ skills were recognised in the workforce, she said. 

Samuel said the graduating students were some of the best Good Partners had seen.  “They are very, very dedicated,” he said.  It was the first time a group of students who started together had finished together, he said.  In the past students would start at their own time and the course would take about a year to complete.  People tended to work at their own pace but this group finished in one block that was a significant milestone for Good Partners, he said. 

“Caring is a difficult profession.”  But community was all about support and care, he said.  Throughout the year, about four people in the group had expressed their concerns that they would not pass but the group’s “can do it” attitude meant nobody was left behind, he said.  “The graduates demonstrated that it’s never too late to start.”

 By Rebecca Moore, taken from the Southland Times 3 March 2017.