The closure of a major rest home for the elderly has brought an angry response from the Grey Power Federation.

The St Joseph's Home of Compassion has been caring for Upper Hutt's elderly for nearly 100 years but will soon close its doors as there are not enough qualified nurses to care for residents. St Joseph's is one of several privately run aged care facilities hit by staffing shortages in the past six months and more than 1000 rest home beds have closed and more could follow.

Grey Power national president Jan Pentecost said the closures were an indictment on several past governments which had relied on private enterprise to provide an essential service which was rightly the responsibility of the public health sector.

"A nation is judged by the way it cares for its most vulnerable people. It is simply unacceptable to have our elderly people in this wealthy and prosperous country neglected and treated worse than people in the poorest third world nations."

Pentecost said political parties make much of how they will look after our older people in the weeks leading up to an election.

"We are sick to death of hollow promises and the miserable failure of governments to honour those who built New Zealand and who are now in their twilight years. Our health system across the board has been run into the ground and we, and our older people, have a right to expect a great deal better."

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