The Hinode Medical & Welfare Group has hired 10 members of a local semi-professional soccer team Banditonce Kakogawa to work at its aged care homes, The Japan Times reports.
Sounds bizarre right?
But its proponents say the benefits are two-fold – providing the players with a stable income and helping with a shortage of workers in the sector.
The idea came about at the start of this year after Hinode, which is one of the team’s sponsors, was looking to expand its facilities.
The team’s manager, Yasuharu Otsuka, 35, says it’s been hard for the team to find jobs for its members, and many don’t have steady work outside their on-field action.
“I’m grateful that the group is offering team members an environment where they can also concentrate on their practices,” he said.
Mixing sport and support
The players have welcomed the work too. “It is sometimes hard physically,” player Hiroki Murai said, “but I feel reassured because people around me understand my conditions.”
Japan is in a unique situation – one in five Japanese are now aged over 70 and they are struggling to find enough carers for their elderly.
But with a shortage of aged care workers and rapidly ageing populations a major issue for countries including Australia and New Zealand, it raises the question – would a similar scheme work here?
Last week the Federal Government released the findings of its Aged Care Workforce Taskforce report ‘A matter of care – a strategy for Australia’s aged care workforce’ – and it notes the need for people with the “right aptitudes” to be recruited.
We’d say athletes – with their drive and determination – would have the right attitude. And with the proper training and skills development, who knows what they could bring to our aged care homes?
Worth considering?
