Aged care offer doesn’t address crisis

National’s Health spokesman, Tony Ryall, says Labour’s funding offer for private rest homes does nothing to address the crisis in aged care.

“More rest homes will close. Unless Labour takes this crisis seriously, older New Zealanders will be forced to live in second-rate rest homes where every corner is cut to keep the place afloat.

“Today’s offer is a re-hash of some funding cobbled together in the last Budget. It doesn’t even cover inflation.

“And still there’s no action on extra money to allow rest homes to catch up with the recent generous pay rises for DHB nurses. How can rest homes retain their nurses when the local hospital is paying a lot more?

“Older New Zealanders deserve better. The Prime Minister promised she would fix this and she has let them down,” says Mr Ryall.

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