Lynda Scott National Party Senior Citizens Spokeswoman

30 November 2004

Aged-care services in crisis

National's Senior Citizens spokeswoman, Lynda Scott, says it is now crucial that the Government urgently addresses the funding of aged-care services.

She is commenting after the Salvation Army said it would sell its 12 residential aged-care centres because of rising costs. This will result in the loss of 583 beds, half of which provide hospital and dementia care.

"This is just the latest in a long line of owner-operators of rest homes selling-up or closing, and the sector is no longer on the brink of a real crisis - it is in one," Dr Scott says.

"The quality of care is dropping as the industry is hit hard by District Health Boards refusing to boost funding and Labour's higher compliance costs.

"It is crucial that the Government put aside their ideological aversion to private providers and address the crisis in aged-care services.

"Our most vulnerable citizens deserve better than this Government and this Minister seem interested in delivering. What does it take for them to act?

"They are all talk, but it is now time they put their money where their mouth is," Dr Scott says.

ENDS

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