Older people given less than 24 hours to move

Media release

10 July 2008

"How would you feel if you were given less than 24 hours to leave your home?" asks Age Concern.

The organization that works for New Zealand's older people is commenting on the immediate transfer of Belhaven Resthome residents to another location.

"The safety of vulnerable older people is a paramount concern," Age Concern New Zealand's chief executive Ann Martin says.

"Age Concern works to combat elder abuse wherever it occurs and we welcome moves, however belated, to keep the Belhaven residents safe.

"However, it might be far better for the vulnerable senior residents to be kept safe in the place they regard as their home, and their carers given additional assistance and oversight, rather than moved with such unseemly haste.

"A managed transition out of Belhaven would have been better for everyone," Ann Martin says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media