Source: Aged Care Association
The Aged Care Association says the findings of the COVID-19 Royal Commission reinforce what the sector has been saying for years: aged residential care is an essential part of New Zealand’s health system and must be treated as core health infrastructure.
Chief Executive Tracey Martin said the report’s lessons for future pandemic planning highlight the critical role that aged residential care facilities play in protecting some of the country’s most vulnerable people.
“Residential aged care facilities provide complex clinical care to tens of thousands of older New Zealanders every day,” Martin said.
“During COVID-19, providers worked tirelessly to protect residents from the virus while continuing to deliver around-the-clock care under extremely difficult circumstances.”
The Royal Commission notes that older people living in residential care are among the most vulnerable populations during infectious disease outbreaks and that stronger national preparedness planning will be required for future pandemics.
Martin said the report reinforces an important point that is often overlooked in health policy discussions.
“ Aged care is health care, and the Royal Commission makes that impossible to ignore.”
“Long-term care facilities cannot be treated as peripheral services in the health system. They are a critical part of our national health infrastructure.”
Approximately 40,000 New Zealanders currently live in aged residential care facilities, receiving nursing care, medication management, dementia care, rehabilitation support and end-of-life care.
“At any given time, aged residential care providers are effectively operating thousands of hospital-level care beds within the community,” Martin said.
“Without aged residential care, hospitals would be under even greater pressure. Recognising residential care as part of the country’s core health infrastructure is essential not only for future pandemic preparedness, but also for the day-to-day functioning of our health system.”
Martin said the Royal Commission’s findings align closely with the sector’s long-standing message that “aged care is health care.”
“For too long aged residential care has been discussed as if it were primarily accommodation for older people,” she said.
“In reality it is a critical part of the healthcare continuum, providing complex clinical care to people who can no longer safely remain at home.”
The Association said the report also highlights the importance of ensuring aged residential care is fully integrated into national health planning for future public health emergencies.
“If we accept that residential care is critical health infrastructure, then we also need to have an honest conversation about whether the way we fund and plan for the sector today is sustainable for the future,” Martin said.
The sector is already seeing increasing demand for care as the population ages, while many providers are operating ageing facilities and facing workforce shortages.
“In many regional communities aged residential care providers are a vital part of the local health system,” Martin said.
“When beds are lost in smaller towns it can mean older people are forced to move away from their families and communities to receive the care they need.”
Martin said planning for the future of aged residential care must be a priority as New Zealand prepares for both future pandemics and the rapid growth of the older population.
“The lessons from COVID-19 should prompt us to ensure the systems supporting older New Zealanders are strong, sustainable and fully integrated into the wider health system.”
The Aged Care Association said it looks forward to working with Government and health agencies to ensure the lessons identified in the Royal Commission report are reflected in future health system planning.
About the Aged Care Association:
The Aged Care Association represents the vast majority of aged residential care providers in New Zealand, supporting more than 670 facilities that provide care to approximately 40,000 older New Zealanders.
