Health Committee Reports Findings Of Aged Care Inquiry To The House

The Health Committee has today released its report on the inquiry into the aged care sector’s current and future capacity to provide support services for people experiencing neurological cognitive disorders.

The report contains 14 recommendations to improve access to aged care and pricing transparency, expand residential and dementia care capacity, enhance flexibility and sustainability in home support services, and strengthen workforce conditions and sustainability.

The committee received over 100 submissions and visited several aged care facilities and service providers across the country. The committee’s recommendations are based on feedback from residents, support workers, sector representatives, and overseas stakeholders.

Sam Uffindell, Chairperson of the Health Committee, said “It is our intention that this inquiry report, which was supported unanimously by all members of the committee, has a positive impact and improves outcomes for those people experiencing neurological cognitive disorders, as well as everyone involved in delivering care.”

“While the inquiry report delivers on a National – New Zealand First coalition commitment, I would like to acknowledge the committee members for engaging in a bipartisan manner on such an important issue.”

The Government has 60 working days to respond to the recommendations in writing. Its response will be available on the Parliament website.

Health Committee recommendations:

Access to aged care services and support

1. We recommend that the Government permit rest homes to carry out Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination (NASC) assessments, subject to NASC assessors performing quality assurances within a reasonable time frame.
2. We recommend that the Government explore ways to provide culturally appropriate care and continuity of care.

Aged residential care

1. We recommend that, to increase transparency, the Government establish a reporting model that separates aged care funding into three streams: accommodation costs, daily living costs, and clinical care costs.
2. We recommend that the Government consider a range of funding and financing tools to address the shortfall of aged residential care beds, including but not limited to capital grants, depreciation incentives, consent relief, anchor contracts, Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act 2020 (IFF), and National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Limited (NIFFCo) financing.
3. We recommend that the Government consider a range of funding and financing tools to enable the development of more dementia beds, which are currently not profitable for providers.
4. We recommend that the Government consider undertaking further work on pathways for end-of-life care, including hospice care.
5. We recommend that the Government consider enabling alternative aged care models similar to the CARE Village in Rotorua.

Home and community support services

1. We recommend that the Government encourage flexibility in home and community support services (HCSS) contracting so that contractors can perform a range of tasks with a holistic view to keep patients well and out of hospital.
2. We recommend that Health New Zealand enable retirement care village providers to deliver home and community care, and vice versa.
3. We recommend that the Government provide for longer-term contracts and national consistency of funding for HCSS providers.

Carers and the aged care workforce

1. We recommend that the Government consider setting up a regular respite care programme.
2. We recommend that the Government work with Health New Zealand and the sector to implement longer-term agreements and certainty of funding and conditions to enable a sustainable aged care workforce.
3. We recommend that any policy or funding changes intended to improve the financial sustainability of aged care providers be accompanied by measures that guarantee equal protection and benefit for the workforce.
4. We recommend that the Government continues to work to reduce gender-based pay discrimination in the aged care sector.

For more details:

• Read the terms of reference
• Read submissions and advice received by the committee 
• Summary of submissions

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