Conference Spotlights Aged Residential Care

Conference Turns Spotlight On Aged Residential Care

The inaugural conference of Healthcare Providers NZ opens in Auckland Monday afternoon 8 August.

Healthcare Providers represents the aged residential care sector, which covers rest homes, geriatric private hospitals, dementia units and psychogeriatric units.

The theme of the conference, “Lift Your Horizons: 2011 and Beyond” focuses on the challenges facing the aged residential care over the next two electoral cycles and the next twenty years.

“Aged residential care is as an issue that many New Zealanders are concerned about – with some justification, as facilities are closing, wages are low, and the sector cannot attract and retain caregivers and nurses”, said Martin Taylor, Chief Executive Healthcare Providers.

“We know the sector is currently underfunded by 20%, and our conference will give providers the chance to see what the future may hold for them. No political party can afford to ignore this event”, said Martin Taylor, Chief Executive Healthcare Providers.

The conference brings together providers from across the entire aged residential care sector and representatives from government agencies, non-government organisations and research agencies.

The Hon. Pete Hodgson, current Associate Minister of Health (Older Persons), and his parliamentary counterparts, will address the conference ,and Rod Young, CEO of Age Care Australia, will relate the Australian aged care experience where the aged residential care sector received substantial funding increases to address the crisis in that country.

For a conference program go to: http://healthcareproviders.org.nz/events/documents/ConferenceProgramme2005.pdf

ENDS

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