Introduction
Breaking news:
A hidden crisis is about to hit Australia!
In the next five years, over 2 million Australians will be forced into unpaid work.

The Hidden Crisis About to Strike Australia
In a rapidly aging Australia, a silent tsunami is brewing, set to hit countless families.
The newly released 2025 Caregiving Index reveals a grim reality: Australia is facing a healthcare crisis, with over 2 million Australians expected to become unpaid caregivers in the next five years. This crisis is poised to not only reshape family structures but could also spark a nationwide workplace upheaval.

According to a report from the nonprofit organization, the Violet Initiative, the “sandwich generation”—those simultaneously caring for both children and aging parents—is bearing an increasingly heavy burden.
By 2030, it is estimated that 2.2 million Australians will be caught in this unpaid caregiving dilemma. Experts believe this could trigger a workplace crisis.

Research reveals that 73% of these affected families will need to maintain full-time jobs while assuming caregiving responsibilities.
Even more shocking, 53% of caregivers are forced to make difficult decisions between their careers and family obligations, and 67% report facing workplace discrimination.

The Dominello family is one of many affected. Former NSW senior minister Victor Dominello’s mother, Josie, was diagnosed with dementia and had to be placed in a nursing facility.
“It became extremely difficult. We had no choice but to make the painful decision to put my mother in a nursing home,” said the former minister. “The hardest part was saying goodbye to my mother every night, knowing she was lonely.”

Dominello stresses that Australia needs a fundamental shift in how we prepare for the later stages of life. In the next five years, the number of people aged 85 and above is expected to increase fivefold.
“More people like my mother will need care and attention. As a nation, we must start planning for this,” he added.

The Growing Crisis in Caregiving
The most concerning aspect of this situation is that, while the number of Australians aged 85 and older is set to rise dramatically in the next five years, there is also a prediction from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) that:
In five years, there will be a shortage of more than 110,000 direct care workers. Across the country, nursing homes are already feeling the strain, with many facilities struggling to even fill basic shifts.

Facing this imminent crisis, organizations like Violet and other innovative groups are working to address these challenges.
Violet encourages and supports people to start conversations about planning for the final stages of life, normalizing discussions and awareness surrounding death and end-of-life care.

Melissa Reader, Violet’s CEO, shared her thoughts:
“I hope every 75-year-old in the country has this conversation with their family. When these conversations and plans are lacking, people are forced to make rushed decisions in hospital corridors.”

Conclusion
This caregiving crisis is reshaping Australia’s social structure.
Finding systemic solutions is urgent, as only comprehensive reforms can prevent a dual loss for families and the workforce.