Elderly Access To Residential Care Under Threat

24 August 2005

Elderly Access To Aged Residential Care Under Threat

Elderly New Zealanders will not have access to aged residential care in the future unless funding is increased now.

This is the third “Who Cares? You Should,” campaign theme, and focuses on what the future holds for our elderly and the aged residential care sector.

“Baby boomers should be worried. They are the ones, who, after paying taxes their whole lives, will not be able gain access to residential care when they need it, because we failed to act when we should have. That time is now.”

By 2021, the number of people who need aged residential care will climb from 46,000 to more than 89,000 per year and the private sector will have to build over 30,000 more beds.

“To have any hope of meeting the demand which statistics confirm is looming, we will need to invest up to $3 billion dollars in new beds and facilities. We will also need to find and train another 4,500 nurses and 17,000 caregivers”.

”This investment in staff, beds and facilities will not be achieved unless the next government funds residential aged care at a fair and sustainable level. Current funding levels will not be enough to meet future demand.”

“Once more, we say that this crisis will not be solved until the sector is funded fairly and sustainably. Our challenge to all political parties is to act now, in order to guarantee our future”, said Martin Taylor, Chief Executive of Healthcare Providers.

ENDS

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