Increased aged care funding welcomed

Increased aged care funding welcomed

Additional funding for home based support and aged residential care for older people announced yesterday by Health Minister Pete Hodgson is welcome news for Christian social service providers, says the NZ Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS).

This appears to be a genuine move by Government to improve home based support services and support the work that many DHBs are already doing in trying to raise the quality of home support provision. It also goes some way toward addressing the additional funding pressures facing the aged residential care sector. He has clearly signalled to District Health Boards (DHBs) that the funding is additional to compensation they receive for inflation and for increasing numbers of older people requiring services.

We look with interest to hear more details on how this additional funding of around $20 million per year for home base support and $37.5 million per year for aged residential care will be allocated by DHBs. Improving wages and conditions is a priority for our members” says spokesperson John Baird, “along with attending to many other cost pressures facing those providing services and these also need to be dealt with in the funding provided by DHBs.”

ENDS

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