Housing affordability the greatest threat to aged care in the Eurobodalla

Lucas (not his real name) moved to Batemans Bay more than a year ago and has stayed in four different locations during that time, including spending weeks sleeping in his car. He is currently living in a small motel room hoping something permanent will materialise soon.

He works in aged care in the shire as general service staff; cooking, catering, cleaning, doing laundry and general administration. His is a fundamental role to the provision of quality aged care in town.

While he labours to enable an aged care home to operate, he longs for a home of his own and has contemplated leaving the shire in the pursuit of a permanent place to live.

"I have definitely considered going to Goulburn or moving to Canberra," he said.

"I don't want to give up my job. I love my colleagues. I love the residents.

"You are always trying to weigh up whether it is worth it. It would suck if I had to quit... but the housing is crazy."

It is a predicament facing many workers throughout the Eurobodalla, and one that Lucas said particularly threatened the aged care sector in the shire.

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"Aged care and health care in the Eurobodalla is not in a good shape because of issues like this - specifically housing affordability," he said. "We have a lot of trouble finding people to come work for us. No one can find anywhere to live."

"It is limiting our ability to look after people to the standard that we would like to. There just aren't enough of us."

He knew of staff in the sector who had been commuting from Nowra for several months while looking for accommodation.

"Some of my colleagues work more than 90 hours a fortnight and cannot find a house to live in," he said.

"They are so hardworking and deserve better," he said.

Not having a safe 'home' has psychological ramifications.

"I have had a pretty shocking time with the mental side of stuff," Lucas said.

"You have to constantly keep moving around and being on your toes. It's hard to put down roots.

"It isn't easy jumping around all the time. All my possessions are still packed in the back of my car.

"You finish work and come back to a place that isn't yours - you don't even rent it - and it's not a good feeling.

"It makes you feel like you are doing something wrong. It makes you question if this is the right path to be taking."

While Lucas said moving to the Eurobodalla had been a "wild ride" because of the "shocking" housing affordability, he said he was determined to persevere.

"I know a lot of other people would just pack it in and leave the Eurobodalla... I am stubborn and I want to be a part of the community at my workplace," he said,

However he admitted he could only last so long.

The aged-care sector can only last so long.

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