Billboards Highlight Aged Care Crisis

Billboards Highlight Aged Care Crisis

Today billboards will go up in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to highlight the crisis in aged residential care caused by government under-funding.

The billboards are the beginning of a campaign to highlight the issues faced in aged residential care. The official campaign launch will be at HealthCare Providers NZ conference on Monday 8 August in Auckland.

“There is a quiet crisis in the aged residential sector facilities are closing, wages are low, and the sector cannot attract and retain caregivers and nurses”.

“This situation has been caused by un sustainable levels of government funding in tandem with large wage increases to public sector nurses through DHBs.”

“If nothing is done, our elderly and their families will find it increasing difficult to find the care they need from subsidised services.”

“In this regard the future is bleak, we have an ageing population, and at present funding levels it’s difficult to see who is going to build more long term residential care beds and who would look after the elderly in those beds with such low wages”.

“Healthcare Providers believes that the public needs to know the truth about this situation, as it is affecting and will affect almost every family at some time,” said Martin Taylor, Chief Executive of Healthcare Providers NZ.

ENDS

© Scoop Media