Caring or cost-cutting? New funding initiatives announced by the Government have not been met with the same enthusiasm by industry leaders.
New funding will give older people greater access to aged residential care and longer care outside of hospitals, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has announced.
“We want to ensure older New Zealanders can get the treatment and care they need in the best possible place. They should not be in the hospital simply because they are frail and there are limited options for their care,” Minister Costello said.
“This investment of NZD 24 million over four years will help people who don’t need continued hospital treatment, to move to other care places in the community, including aged residential care.”
This timely care transfer initiative was developed with the aged care sector in 2023, but had time-limited funding that ends next month.
“This investment means current delays in discharging older people from the hospital will be reduced and hospital beds will be freed up for those requiring treatment,” Costello said.
“It will benefit anyone needing to access hospital and specialist services.
“The new funding will enable better rehabilitation and recovery in the community – for example, providing support for older people with exceptional needs, such as bariatric care, and the extra care required for new residents with complex needs.”
Costello said she has seen firsthand how Aged Care residences can provide this level of recuperative care. They are currently funded to provide these ‘hospital’ rooms, and this extra funding will support access to this care and for the transfer process to occur safely and faster.
“We are working on large-scale and long-term improvements to the aged care system, but this initiative delivers some immediate support and helps us achieve national health targets.”
However, some industry leaders did not see eye to eye with Minister Costello’s announcement.
Aged Care Association chief executive Tracey Martin said there was 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 NZD 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.
Martin said it was 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 that at least a quarter of all New Zealanders over the age of 85 will need.
“And let’s be clear, the 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.”
Martin said this was who the Government was thumbing their nose at, the person who needs care, not Aged Care Association members, who provide the care.
“Our members are working as hard and efficiently as they can to keep their doors open and care for our elders,” she said.
“If the Government can’t acknowledge that positive and sustainable change can only happen if we are included, then we are all in trouble. The NZD 6 million fund might still be there to help seniors transfer from the hospital, but it is increasingly likely that there will be nowhere for them to transfer to.”
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