The rising cost of living is leaving some aged care workers in debt, while others only have small amounts of money to spare after paying for essentials.
New modelling shows an aged care worker with no partner or dependents has $112 a week left after covering the costs of rent, transport, groceries and healthcare.
If the worker is a single parent, they are $148 behind.
About 70 per cent of aged care staff are qualified personal care workers with a certificate-three qualification, and after tax they take home about $770 a week.
The Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC), which is made up of six aged care peak bodies, examined how the rising cost of living was affecting workers.
The report stated that wages were not high enough to support most workers.
"Our calculations suggest that aged care workers in single households are likely to be in serious financial stress with little or no savings buffer, while aged care workers in coupled households are likely to be financially dependent on a partner's income," the report said.
Before Australians started to notice an increase in essential items such as food and petrol, the Royal Commission into Aged Care had already recommended a pay rise for workers.
The Fair Work Commission, which is the independent umpire, is currently looking at whether wages should be increased.
Renewed calls for wage rises
Aged and Community Services Australia, which represents not-for-profit providers and is part of the AACC, has warned that if wages do not rise more people will leave the workforce.
Chief executive Paul Saddler said it was an issue that must be addressed.
"There is a risk of an exodus of staff from the aged care sector because of the poor wages that we can pay," he said.
He said the system is already facing major workforce shortages and he is concerned it will get worse unless change occurs.
"Some older people will potentially miss out on any care at all because we simply won't have the workers there to look after them," he said
"We are competing in a marketplace for skills with retail, with the hospital sector and with disability service providers (that have higher wages).
In the lead up to the federal election, the AACC is calling on the major parties to commit more funding.
Initially, it wants government to boost the annual wage increments and pay for further COVID-19 prevention measures.
Then it wants a commitment of federal funds to pay for the wage increase that is expected to be ordered by the Fair Work Commission when it delivers its decision by the middle of the year.
Labor says it supports a wage increase but won't say by how much, while the government has said it will leave the decision to the Commission.
The AACC has also called for the major parties to commit to an allied health needs assessment and funding model by 2024.
