Hon Jo Goodhew
Associate Minister of Health

17 December 2012 Media Statement
Streamlined rest home auditing to be introduced in 2013

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew announced today that streamlined auditing of rest homes, saving up to six hours for each audit, will be introduced from 1 January 2013.

This follows a successful trial of the new process in 23 rest homes this year.

“We continue to look at ways of reducing the regulatory burden for providers while maintaining the integrity of the audit process,” said Mrs Goodhew.

“The new streamlined audits focus more tightly on services directly affecting residents. They produce a more useful result for regulators, operators and the public. They also provide time savings in the review of documents and reporting.

“Regular independent checks of rest homes against clearly defined, relevant standards are vital to ensure high quality care for older New Zealanders in aged residential care. It ensures providers meet current standards and any shortcomings are quickly identified and rectified.

“The Government has also introduced spot audits of aged residential care facilities, third-party accreditation of aged residential care auditors and a new comprehensive clinical assessment tool which will provide robust information to help assess quality of care.”

Audit results for certified rest homes in New Zealand are publicly available at http://www.health.govt.nz/yourhealth-topics/health-care-services/services-older-people.

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