6 June 2001 Media Release
Minister asks for urgent report on care of elderly
Associate Minister of Health Ruth Dyson has asked the Ministry of Health for an urgent report on audit processes and
other matters relating to the care of older people in rest homes and dementia units.
"I am very concerned about issues raised in the media and elsewhere about the quality of some residential care for the
elderly," Ms Dyson said today.
"However, I only received the delegation for Older Persons Health yesterday, as part of my responsibilities as Associate
Minister of Health. So it would be irresponsible to make a decision today about the best way to address these concerns,
and whether an inquiry is needed."
Ms Dyson said she had asked the Ministry of Health for an urgent report about the effectiveness of its audit processes
in addressing concerns about the quality of residential care for older people.
Ms Dyson said she considered the matter to be a high priority.
ENDS