National pledges $40m for aged care

This week National announced it would pump a further $40 million into aged care as earmarked in the recent budget.

The extra funding will increase resthome bed subsidies by five per cent from October 1, and provide further support for dementia care.

National candidate for the Bay of Plenty, Todd Muller, says the announcement demonstrates National's commitment to senior citizens and their families.

'Aged residential care services play an important role in supporting older New Zealanders, who can no longer live at home.”

Todd says the extra funding will lift National's investment to close to $1 billion. With an improving and well-managed economy 'I am sure the investment will continue to rise”.

'Within 20 years there will be over 1.2 million kiwis that will be over the age of 65.”

'Hopefully some of this increased investment will flow through to improved wages for the great staff who provide dignified and caring services to our aged across the electorate.”

Conservative party candidate, Deborah Cunliffe, who is a registered diabetes nurse, is pleased to hear of the Government's pledge.

She too hopes some of the money is used to pay health care assistants and nurses 'the rates they deserve”.

'Many of these staff earn up to $3 per hour less than those in public hospitals, plus penal rates at weekends, making it difficult for standalone facilities to retain staff.”

Deborah says she would have preferred more spending be allocated to diabetes but appreciates the difficulties not-profit organisations like Alzheimer's Tauranga have in gaining funding.

'I hope they can use some of this funding locally to assist families struggling with the terrible life changing disease that is dementia,” says Deborah.

Labour candidate Clare Wilson says it is great the Government realises the aged care sector needs support but it was 'not a new decision as it was flagged during the 2014 Budget”.

Labour's approach to health is holistic and Clare believes the government needs to start with prevention and first class primary health care.

'We also need to support those seniors who wish to stay in their homes with quality home-based care services.”

Clare says Labour's policy includes a working group for aged care which would be overseen by an Aged Care Commissioner, plus a review of current pay rates and conditions in the sector.

Independent Coalition MP Brendan Horan welcomes the $40 million but doubts the extra funding would truly make a difference.

'The fact of the matter is that our seniors are in serious need and it's not enough.”

Brendan says if elected his party would institute a Financial Transaction Tax which would place a 0.1 per cent levy on all financial transactions.

It would be imposed on banks and the Foreign Exchange which are currently untaxed on their transactions.

'We would raise $9.5 billion dollars. With that we would be able to boost pensions by $10,000 per person and still have plenty money left over to truly care for our seniors.”

UnitedFuture candidate Ben Rickard says they supports increased investment into aged care services but their focus is on improving support services and opportunities for families.

Ben says families are the building blocks of our society and government efforts must be focused on ensuring they are allowed to flourish.

'We would prioritise investment in improving access to parenting programmes and introduce comprehensive, integrated life skills lessons at school.

'These would focus on career planning, budgeting, civic education, relationships and communication skills,” says Ben.

Do you believe National's investment of a further $40 million into aged care will help or is it not enough? Do you have any alternatives? Post your comments below.

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4 comments

Other End of the Scale

Posted on 27-08-2014 14:00 | By carpedeum

How great to hear that National are looking at the other end of the Vulnerable scale (from families and children) to the Older Elders who are in need of Aged Care- well done again John Key et al.


Peanuts

Posted on 27-08-2014 15:40 | By jaydeegee

A pitiful amount considering the demographics of an ageing population. This equates to wages for about 15000 care workers for one year. Get real.


Forty Million

Posted on 27-08-2014 18:52 | By How about this view!

Doesn't sound like a big enough spend to me, but I wouldn't have a clue as to what a good figure might be? How long is a piece of string? Once again I am dumbfounded that there are people that expect the taxpayer to adopt them and their family. The older the population gets, the fewer people to generate an income FOR the government to spend. I expect that there may be some very late nights for our tax consultants in the coming months, depending on the results of the election. The resultant creative accounting may require the Government of the day to increase their overseas borrowing to well over a billion a month to pay for all of this vote buying policy. But that's fine, the next generations can pay (If their parents haven't left the country)


BOOO

Posted on 28-08-2014 16:13 | By Go Clayton

they are just saying this to get more votes!


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