Aged Care Crisis Continues

23 March 2005

Aged Care Crisis Continues – Glenwood Hospital In Masterton Struggles To Survive

The aged care crisis caused by chronic under funding continues with Glenwood Hospital in Masterton saying that it is at risk of closure.

A public meeting was held today at the 27 bed Glenwood Hospital in Masterton to discuss Glenwood’s crisis, the crisis in Masterton and the crisis across the whole country.

Nurses, caregivers and managers throughout Masterton spoke up about how terribly underfunded the sector is and how this affects the whole community from residents and their families through to caregivers and managers.

“The situation at Glenwood is occurring across the country with alarming frequency and the Labour Cabinet should go down to each and every resthome and hospital that is facing closure and explain to the owners, staff and elderly residents why they have no security of accommodation, care and employment”.

“The reality is that the situation will get even worse as providers have had to handle a 2% increase in wage costs due to the Holidays Act and will soon be facing large increases in costs due to the Nurses pay settlement. When you add in that they have been carrying all inflation costs from 2003 till now, the future looks very bleak”.

“I trust the government will show some leadership in the aged care sector and right the past wrongs with a significant increase for residential care funding in this year’s budget, or at least give a commitment to modest increases each year for the next three years to solve the crisis” says Martin Taylor CEO of Residential Care New Zealand

ENDS

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