Care giver calls for tax breaks

Care giver calls for tax breaks

A Waikato home care provider has urged the government to consider tax breaks for the elderly to encourage an aging population to remain in their own homes.

Neil Farnworth, owner-operator of Home Instead Senior Care in Hamilton said the extra aged care funding announced this week was welcome. However demand for increased funds was only going to grow with an aging population.

“The government has directed an additional $405m to aged care, including $81m targeted at home based support. This will do much to ensure companies like ours can set a high standard of care for people electing to remain at home.”

He says however provincial Waikato and Hamilton are like every other region in New Zealand where all care services are under strain.

“We really need to look at ways to make it even more attractive for elderly people to stay in their own homes, rather than seek care elsewhere.”

Overseas experience had shown keeping aging people in their own homes for as long as possible, with a high standard of visiting care had significant social and economic benefits.

“Tax breaks are only one option to encourage them to stay, and these could be spread around the immediate family who often also play such a critical role in looking after Mum and Dad at home.

“The tax breaks would recognise the reduced load those people are placing on the system by staying in their own residence.”

Other options used overseas successfully included allowances and rates rebates by local authorities.

Mr Farnworth says the extra funding is long overdue. With pay rates now able to be lifted, the standard of training improved even further and general care quality improved across the industry.

“The scary thing is though, this is only the start of the age wave.

“We have 13% of the population over 65 now, which is just over half a million. In only 18 years we will have 20% of the population, approaching double today’s number.”

With the extra funding workers in the aged care sector could expect to see their pay to increase to at least $14.40 an hour over the next four years, from $11.25 an hour now.

CEO of Age Concern Ann Martin welcomed the increased support for in-home care. She says feedback from older people is they want to stay in their own homes as long as possible.

“With pressure on a small labour pool of carers, a burgeoning aged population and creaking hospital resources, this funding will take a lot of pressure off both the health care providers and their resources,” says Mr Farnworth.

ENDS

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