MEDIA RELEASE | 13 NOVEMBER 2026
Amidst a looming aged care workforce crisis, only 17% of young New Zealanders are considering in-home care work as a long-term career.
As New Zealand’s population ages and with demand for in-home care set to surge, new research shows there aren’t enough young New Zealanders choosing a career in the sector to help fill the growing gap in the workforce.
The survey by Life Plus, a New Zealand-owned home and community support provider, found a significant gap between how young people value the work and whether they see it as a viable career.
Almost two-thirds of young people surveyed (64%) view home care and support work as meaningful work that helps people, but only 17% said they would probably or definitely consider it as a longer-term career.
The findings come as demand for in-home care is expected to increase significantly. One in five New Zealanders will be aged 65 or older by 2028, rising to one in four by the 2050s, according to the independent Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group’s recent report, A Place to Grow Old: Securing the Future of Aged Care.
The report puts New Zealand’s current in-home care workforce at around 17,000 — and with demand for in-home care projected to grow by up to 57% over the next two decades, meeting that need would require at least 9,700 additional workers[1].
[1] The indicative additional workforce figure (~9,700) is calculated by applying the projected growth rate of 57% until 2047/48 as included in the Ministerial Advisory Group’s Report to the current workforce and does not reflect an official government workforce projection.
Michelle Batchelor, CEO of Life Plus, says, “More New Zealanders want to age at home, supported by people they trust, and in-home care is one of the clearest ways to ease pressure on our hospitals and residential care facilities.
“But none of that is possible without a stable, well-trained workforce behind it. This research shows we have real work to do as a sector to change perceptions and bring more young people into this career to help meet the increasing demand.”
Hear more about the research
Life Plus CEO Michelle Batchelor joined Kathryn Ryan on RNZ’s Nine to Noon to discuss the growing demand for home care and what needs to change to attract more young New Zealanders to the sector.
The survey found young people are less convinced of the sector’s employment proposition than its purpose. While 64% associated home care with meaningful work, only 33% associated it with fair pay and 34% with a clear career pathway.
The leading reasons young people gave for not considering the sector were a preference for a different career (35%), concerns about low pay (24%), the emotional demands of the work (23%), and limited knowledge of the role (20%). Nineteen percent of those surveyed hadn’t heard of in-home care work, while 35% had heard the name only.
But the research suggests many young people could be persuaded to take another look at in-home care roles. One-third (33%) said they might consider home care if factors such as pay, hours or training were right.
The strongest drivers of consideration identified were flexible shifts (82%), paid travel time or transport support (82%), clear information about pay progression (79%), and strong safety processes with backup support (79%).
Batchelor said the findings provide a clear signal for the sector.
“Young people are telling us what would make this a more attractive career. They want flexibility, transparency around pay and progression, good training, and confidence they will be supported to do the job safely.
“If New Zealand is serious about enabling more people to live independently at home, we need to make sure the employment proposition keeps pace with the growing need for care.”
The findings were echoed by current home care workers. A companion survey of 198 of Life Plus’s current workforce found strong pride and purpose in the role. 92% agreed their work makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and 82% would recommend a career in home care to a young person.
Asked what would most help attract young people into the sector, current workers most often pointed to clearer pay increases as skills grow (40%), paid travel time or transport support (38%), better starting pay (36%), and guaranteed minimum hours (36%), closely mirroring what young people themselves said would bring them in.
“Our current support workers told us the same thing young people did: get pay, travel support and training right, and this becomes a career people want to build a future in. That’s the direction the whole sector needs to move in so we can attract the staff that are needed and avoid a looming crisis,” said Batchelor.
Addressing the workforce gap will take a multifaceted approach, Batchelor says. “Sector funding, staff pay, hours, training, immigration settings, how we talk about a career in in-home care – it all needs to be considered in a cross-sector strategy.”
“As a provider, we want to play our part in attracting young people to the sector. We’re currently developing a programme working directly with schools to give students a first-hand look at what this job involves, because right now, it’s almost impossible to showcase. This work happens in someone’s private home, not a clinic or an office, so young people never get to see it the way they might see a nurse, a builder, or a barista at work. We want to change that.”
“At a time when young people are being told AI could reshape their career prospects, home care is one field where the human element cannot be automated. It relies on human relationships, compassion, and hands-on, complex care. This is meaningful work that drastically improves the lives of our tamariki, elderly, and anyone with complex care needs across Aotearoa.”
The Youth Survey was conducted online by Key Research among 401 New Zealanders aged 17–20, with fieldwork from 4–24 August 2026 (95% confidence level, margin of error ±4.9%). The Careworker Survey was conducted among 198 current Life Plus support workers, with fieldwork from 14–17 August 2026 (95% confidence level, margin of error ±6.96%). Both surveys were conducted by Key Research on behalf of Life Plus.
Life Plus is a New Zealand-owned healthcare provider supporting people to live independently in their homes, communities and facilities across the country. Life Plus focuses on continuity of care and strong relationships between clients and carers, with a person-centred approach that supports client independence, dignity and choice.
Charlotte Wallace
Wallace Communications
charlotte@wallacecommunications.co.nz
027 317 7903