Five more rest home disasters in the making?

The current outcry about care in rest homes is another gross failure on the Labour Government’s watch, says National Party Associate Health Spokeswoman Jo Goodhew.

“David Cunliffe should be asking what the hoards of bureaucrats in charge of auditing rest homes are doing. It’s unacceptable to hear from him that there may be another five potentially dangerous rest homes around New Zealand.

Mrs Goodhew is responding to reports that the Health Minister has a list of five rest homes that could be in the same league as Belhaven, the Auckland facility where a resident’s mouth was taped to keep her quiet.

“While the Minister dallies, thousands of New Zealanders in rest homes, and their families, are fearful that their facility might be one of the five.

“The public urgently need assurances from the Minister that if there are potentially unsafe rest homes out there, he is doing something to protect the elderly residents.

“It is high time that the way rest homes are audited is reviewed. The public needs information that helps them make decisions about which rest home their loved one should live in, and the funding agencies need to know that the facility is continually meeting all the required standards.

“National believes spot auditing, as well as the audit that certifies the rest home as 'fit to care for the elderly', should be undertaken on a regular basis.

“It is also vital that New Zealanders can be assured that when complaints are made about the safety of the elderly in a rest home, those complaints are urgently investigated.”

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