Residential Care Association Rejects HFA Report

Association Rejects Report

Residential Care Association (NZ) totally rejects the report from the Health Funding Authority, with respect to an incident at the Santa Maria Resthome in Christchurch last September.

Association President Simon O'Dowd said today that the report appears to have little to do with the incident that occurred, and instead appeared to be a general trawling exercise by the Health Funding Authority that came up with non compliances in areas of policies and procedures that have in previous audits, been acceptable to the HFA.

Mr O'Dowd said that this now appears to be the style of the HFA who are "big on Audits" and "low on inputs". The HFA have frozen resthome and dementia unit fees for the last 4 years, in spite of the recommendation of their own consultants, who after a $500,000 exercise have advised the HFA that the sector is seriously underfunded.

"In addition" said Mr O'Dowd " the HFA have criticised training at Santa Maria, but have done nothing to assist with training requirements within the Industry"
" Instead the Industry has initiated their own training programmes, at their own expense, having developed the ACE (Aged Care Education) programme at a cost to date of approximately $600,000."

"It is ironical," said Mr O'Dowd, " that Mrs Ward is being criticised over staff training, when she is one of the founders of the ACE programme,
which has brought training to the whole country and without which there would be nothing."

Mr O'Dowd said that Mrs Ward operates a fully accredited facility, and has led the Industry over the last decade in setting new standards of care in the industry.

"Mrs Ward runs an immaculate establishment," he said.

"It is time the HFA recognised her exceptional contribution to the Industry, and takes a good hard look at their own shortcomings with regard to Funding and Training"

"The Association will be calling on Government to review whether or not the HFA has met its objectives relating to care of the elderly."

ENDS

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