Senior New Zealanders Let Down By Government… Again
Aged Care Association chief executive Tracey Martin says, 'theres no money in the Budget for older New Zealanders, so the Government has resorted to announcing the continuation of existing funds as a win.
The Minister for Seniors has announced that a fund to support older New Zealanders transfer from hospitals, to be cared for in aged residential care and the community will continue.
Aged Care Association chief executive Tracey Martin says, 'There's no money in the Budget for older New Zealanders, so the Government has resorted to announcing the continuation of existing funds as a win.
The continuation of the current $6 million funding for another four years is an insult to the tens of thousands of older New Zealanders who need, and will need in future, aged care in this country.
It is likely that more money has been spent on expensive reports over the last decade; reports that highlight again and again how underfunded the aged care sector is, and how unprepared our society is to provide the care at least a quarter of all New Zealanders over the age of 85 will need.
And let's be clear, government doesn't fund residential aged care providers, the key relationship is between the government and the individual New Zealander. It is the senior who is assessed as needing care, it is the senior who is asset and income tested, it is the senior who is recommended by a government agency to enter residential care for safety and clinical care needs.
This is who the Government is thumbing their nose at – the person who needs care, not our members, who provide the care. Our members are working as hard and as efficiently as they can to keep their doors open, to care for our elders.
If Government can't acknowledge that positive and sustainable change can only happen if we are included, then we are all in trouble. The $6 million fund might still be there to help seniors transfer from hospital, but it is increasingly likely that there will be nowhere for them to transfer to.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
9 hours ago
- NZ Herald
New Tauranga Hospital intensive care and high dependency units opened by Health Minister Simeon Brown
This included adding two ICU beds and four HDU beds and moving the CCU to another floor and expanding it by five beds. The beds were expected to be ready by April 2022. When asked what had caused the delay, Brown told the Bay of Plenty Times the key thing was being there to open the expansion. 'The last Government announced a range of projects which were going to be delivered, and actually, we're getting on and delivering them. That's our focus.' Brown said the expansion was 'really important' because of the growing population in the Bay of Plenty. 'Separating the coronary care unit from the ICU and HDU means the hospital can plan care better, care for those different patients without having to cancel elective surgeries.' He said this had been a challenge in the past when there had been a limited number of spaces. The expansion upgrade increased intensive care and high dependency capacity from 10 to 16 beds on a separate, dedicated floor. Photo / Brydie Thompson The CCU was now on its own floor with space to expand to 20 beds in the future, which could be used for coronary care or other acute care services as demand required. This included access to the hospital's two cardiac catheterisation labs, the second of which opened last month. The newest lab replaced the hospital's original suite, which had reached the end of its clinical life after delivering more than 1200 procedures annually since opening in 2017. 'By having the separation of those two [CCU and ICU/HDU], we're able to plan that care better, and also speed up access to beds by having increased capacity.' Brown said this was important for emergency departments so patients could be seen quickly. 'It's critically important for our Government's target of 95% of patients being seen, admitted, or discharged through an emergency department.' He said hospitals around the country were making significant progress in improving performance. Tauranga Hospital's upgraded ICU featured three negative-pressure rooms, providing additional protection for patients and staff by helping contain infectious diseases when needed. 'I know how important this will be to the staff being able to work in a modern environment with new equipment,' the minister said. Clinical nurse manager for ICU/HDU Fiona Kishor and Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Brydie Thompson 'They can provide timely access to quality care, which they want to deliver for patients here in the Bay of Plenty.' Brown said work was under way for stage one of the Health Infrastructure Plan, which would determine what else was required for Tauranga Hospital. Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford attended and welcomed the official opening of the new ICU and HDU. 'For too long, limited capacity meant our ICU and HDU were under pressure.' He said the newly expanded and refurbished facilities would make a huge difference for Bay of Plenty families. 'This upgrade means more beds, better facilities, and faster access to life-saving care when it matters most.' Rutherford said the project was about ensuring there was a bed and the very best care available for critically ill people. He said the upgrade would reduce surgery delays, improve patient flow from the emergency department, and help meet targets for shorter emergency stays and faster elective treatments. 'The opening marks a significant step forward for healthcare in the Bay of Plenty – one that will save lives and improve outcomes for years to come.' Health NZ Te Whatu Ora has been approached for more information about the project delay and budget increase. Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.
NZ Herald
11 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Proposed Pae Ora health bill changes concern Rotorua Iwi Māori Partnership Board
The Government's proposed legislative changes to the health system 'threaten to remove iwi's meaningful participation' on the future of Māori health, the Rotorua area Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) says. Te Taura Ora o Waiariki attended the national IMPB hui on August 7 and 8 in New Plymouth where IMPBs
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Scoop
Orewa Local Gets #GutsyForGutCancer Running 161km In Under 24 Hours
Orewa local Neville Modlin inspired his community this past weekend running 161.8km in 23 hours and 55 minutes to pay tribute to his father who recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. In late November 2024 when Neville Modlin's father casually mentioned he was feeling 'a little under the weather' their family had no idea that his funeral would be held on New Years Eve that same year. Neville's father passed away only 6 weeks later after a short and intense journey with pancreatic cancer which is becoming one of New Zealand's deadliest cancers with 88% of Kiwis passing away within 5 years of diagnosis. Neville says 'the speed that everything progressed for my dad was totally unexpected.' Within 10 days they were planning the estate, after 15 he became an expert in cancer medication and in 30 he was organising fulltime care and planning a funeral. Not to mention supporting his mum throughout the process who was navigating losing her life partner of over 60 years. Neville channelled his grief into action, taking on his biggest personal challenge in part of The Gut Cancer Foundation's #GutsyForGutCancer raising critical funds and awareness for Kiwis battling gut cancer. 'What began as a personal challenge became a public journey. I never expected the magnitude of what unfolded, besides the first 4km I was never alone' Neville says. Even at 3am he had local runners coming out to show their support and run alongside him, some whom he had never met before. Neville and his family have been blown away by the communities support both on the day and in the fundraising campaign as they've now surpassed their initial fundraising goal by almost 6 times! Like many New Zealanders Neville didn't know much about gut cancers when his father was diagnosed, 'because he went downhill so fast there was little support – We were figuring it out one day at a time.' Liam Willis, Executive Officer of The Gut Cancer Foundation (GCF) highlights that gut cancer is the most common form of cancer in New Zealand with over 6,100 Kiwis diagnosed every year. 'They have some of the worst survival rates of any cancers;' 8 Kiwis die from gut cancer every day. The GCF funds innovative research, addresses barriers to treatment and is particularly focused on improving experiences similar to Neville's by establishing a comprehensive pipeline to support Kiwis with access to vital resources throughout the cancer journey for patients and whanau. Liam shares the GCF has created an online hub of resources that is a comprehensive source of information for anyone diagnosed with a gut cancer, adding 'our team are on hand to answer questions they or their whanau may have.' 'We are committed to developing this service to ensure we meet the need of our community and no one has to face a gut cancer diagnosis alone." The generosity of the GCF supporters and donations help gives New Zealanders access to international clinical trials and allows the foundation to continue to be the voice for our communities. 'By raising awareness of signs, symptoms and specific risk factors we hope to see these cancers detected earlier, increasing the chances of patients surviving their diagnosis.' says Liam.
