Hon Jo Goodhew
Associate Minister of Health
17 December 2012 Media Statement
Streamlined rest home auditing to be introduced in 2013
Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew announced today that streamlined auditing of rest homes, saving up to six hours for
each audit, will be introduced from 1 January 2013.
This follows a successful trial of the new process in 23 rest homes this year.
“We continue to look at ways of reducing the regulatory burden for providers while maintaining the integrity of the
audit process,” said Mrs Goodhew.
“The new streamlined audits focus more tightly on services directly affecting residents. They produce a more useful
result for regulators, operators and the public. They also provide time savings in the review of documents and
reporting.
“Regular independent checks of rest homes against clearly defined, relevant standards are vital to ensure high quality
care for older New Zealanders in aged residential care. It ensures providers meet current standards and any shortcomings
are quickly identified and rectified.
“The Government has also introduced spot audits of aged residential care facilities, third-party accreditation of aged
residential care auditors and a new comprehensive clinical assessment tool which will provide robust information to help
assess quality of care.”
Audit results for certified rest homes in New Zealand are publicly available at http://www.health.govt.nz/yourhealth-topics/health-care-services/services-older-people.
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