The Shift to Autonomy: Solving the Aged Care Crisis with Robotics

The cleaning industry in the Australian aged care sector is facing serious challenges driven by a multitude of societal factors. Our ageing population is increasing, and with the declining birth rate in later generations, we simply do not have the numbers to comfortably accommodate the needs of our senior citizens. This demographic strain is compounded by stricter regulatory standards and rising labour costs, leaving facilities struggling to maintain basic operational standards. While the national focus often lands on clinical nursing and care-worker shortages, the deficit in ancillary services, specifically cleaning, is equally critical. It directly affects resident health and forces direct-care workers away from bedside care. We are therefore left in a perilous position: how can we hope to fulfil the ever-growing demand for cleaners in the aged care sector in order to provide the best care for ageing Australians?

A widening pay gap between direct and ancillary care

Federal attention in the aged care sector remains heavily skewed toward frontline clinical staff, leaving ancillary workers sidelined. This disparity was formalised during the Fair Work Commission's landmark Aged Care Work Value Case, which mandated a wage increase of up to 28.5% for direct-care workers to reflect their undervalued labour; in contrast, indirect-care employees received a baseline increase of just 3% [1, 2]. While cleaners, laundry and food-services staff ultimately received an approximate 7% increase due to a structural reclassification [1], the massive gap created between direct and indirect care award schedules has triggered an internal labour migration.

This earnings gap is starkly apparent under the Aged Care Award [MA000018] modern pay structures. An entry-level worker under the Direct Care schedule commands a base rate of $31.13 per hour; conversely, a Level 1 Cleaner categorised under the General Employee schedule is locked at a baseline rate of just $26.51 per hour [3]. Government frameworks heavily enforce the mandatory 215 minutes of direct care per resident per day, yet simultaneously ignore the critical operational and sanitation standards that cleaning services provide alongside clinical care [4].

Upskilling incentives pull cleaners out of the role

In addition to this, we are seeing many aged care providers offering internal training programs that encourage transitioning into direct support-worker roles. Although this is being strategically implemented to address shortages and adherence to Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) standards [4], it further disincentivises retention in ancillary roles: why stay in a position that pays less when opportunities to upskill and increase take-home pay are handed to you?

Burnout and turnover compound the shortage

The workload itself is also deterring cleaners from remaining in the aged care space. Strict expectations for sanitisation standards and infection-control protocols, psychological stressors involved with working in sensitive environments, and the physical strain of performing required duties all contribute to burnout, heavy staffing shortages and high turnover rates [5, 6]. The commercial cleaning industry becomes a lot more enticing for these workers when these factors are taken into account, especially when paired with average wages being higher for commercial contracts.

Automation as the structural solution

Since workers are being pushed out of the cleaning sector by economics, facilities have little choice but to bring in robots to fill the gap. Autonomous cleaning units are no longer a futuristic luxury; they are becoming a practical necessity for keeping up with a shrinking workforce. By handing heavy, repetitive jobs like floor scrubbing to machines, facilities can hold to strict cleaning standards without draining the staff they have left.

This doesn't displace the workforce so much as redirect it. The ancillary staff who remain can spend their time on the sensitive, high-touch areas that need a person. As the gap between regulatory demands and available labour keeps widening, automation is one of the few reliable ways to keep these facilities clean: machines handle the routine work, and people stay focused on residents.

For how this works on the ground — compliance logging, quiet operation around residents and scheduling around your existing cleaners — see autonomous cleaning for aged care and healthcare.

References

1. Fair Work Ombudsman. (n.d.). Aged Care Work Value Case: Changes to awards. Australian Government. fairwork.gov.au
2. Fair Work Commission. (2024). Work value case — Aged care industry: Decisions. Australian Government. fwc.gov.au
3. Fair Work Ombudsman. (2020). Aged Care Award 2010 [MA000018]. Australian Government. awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000018
4. Department of Health and Aged Care. (2024). Care minutes and registered nurses in aged care. Australian Government. health.gov.au
5. Clendon, J., & Walker, L. (2024). Carers in need of care: Wellbeing in Australia's aged care workforce. Monash Lens, Monash University. lens.monash.edu
6. Brough, P., Timms, C., & Chan, X. W. (2024). Workforce challenges and systemic psychological stressors in sensitive health and support environments. Journal of Health and Care Management, advance online publication. research-management.mq.edu.au