The current life context is characterized by a decrease in birth, and a rise in life expectancy. Population aging It is a worldwide phenomenon that, obviously, Argentina is not exempt, and this situation raises important challenges that require planning, the only possibility of facing a near future. Is that by 2040 it is estimated that there will be almost 45% more people of the senior citizens of carewhich could generate a collapse in the current system, according to the latest report of Found. But, How is the current system and what challenges are facing forward?
Those in charge of this work are “Home caregivers”as well as the Therapeutic companionswhich are mostly employed in precariousness situations, which mostly involve women, under the private houses regime. It is a sector with an important degree of informality, since it is a regime that started just 12 years ago under the sanction of the Law 26,844 2013.
In this universe, 70% of the care of the elderly the families, mostly women. In it 30% remaining households, care is managed by people external to home (Other relatives, the State, the market or the community). Those who can hire domestic and remunerated care services in the market represent less than 10% of households.
Home caregivers in Argentina: precarization and challenges of the sector
The work of home caregiver presents two problems: on the one hand, that the certificates in the National Registry of Home Caregivers There are still very few (10,497 to the August 2024 registration) and, on the other, that the work of private houses -What is generally the modality under which it is hired for this type of care- is made in informal conditions in a 78.4%according to the latest work report of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC) of the third quarter of 2024.
Without going any further, a caretaker explained to Scope that, for example, for the Comprehensive Medical Care Program (PAMI) caregivers work outsourced, this implies that they are hired through Agencies to which They invoiceso they are under a regime of monotax.
“They called me little to take care of a lady through an agency, who asks for monotax, pays you $ 1,700. Scope, María del Carmen Díazworker and spokeswoman for the Grouping of private house workers.
In that line, it should be noted that the time of a worker with retirement is $ 2,863 And he has contributions, however, a caregiver who wins $ 1,700 per hour you have to pay the monotaxthat in the case of social has a cost of $ 8,358 and that of the Category a It is from $ 32,221.
A planning opportunity: What changes are needed to improve the system?
For FoundArgentina has “a demographic bonus”, which is the opportunity to prepare for this change. Currently, the country is at a time when The working age population is greater than that of the dependent population (older people and childhoods). “This is an opportunity for the generation of wealth and savings, since there are more people of productive age who can support the demanding populations for care through the payment of services, taxes and contributions,” they said.
In that line, they stressed that The peak of use of this bonus will arrive by 2034that is, in nine years. For this reason, the report remarks that now is the time for “Plan a new appropriate care provision for the transformation that will happen in the next 20 years”.
“The entire health system will have to adapt and with that, the quality of the work of health workers”warned in dialogue with this medium Maria de las Nieves Pugliadoctor in sociology and participant of the report of Found. “In general, countries that advanced in national strategies in populations with advanced aging strengthened the home care network, along with existing systems such as health and long -stay residences plus all devices that promote functional autonomy in older people (retiree clubs, active houses, etc.),” added the specialist, who wrote the report “The future of care. A tool for adaptation to demographic transition” next to Agustina Bendersky, Ximena de la Fuente, Celina Santellán and Yamila Nadur.
Jobs associated with care: an opportunity for job creation
The Care economy In Argentina I could create around 1.8 million jobs around 2030, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). This would generate 600,000 jobs in the education sectornearly 450,000 in health and more than 780,000 to the long -term care sector For older people, with disabilities or chronic disease.
In addition, the ILO concludes that the scenarios with the greatest increase in gross production and employment value are those that involve greater investment in Increased coverage and the Infrastructure extension. The challenge will be the generation of quality employment, taking into account that only the 21.6% of jobs associated with this work are registered.
“It is necessary to reinforce protection strategies of a sector that will be increasingly relevant and that still presents important challenges for its recognition, professionalization and formalization,” concludes founding.
Source: Ambito
