Long-Term Investment In Aged Care Can’t Wait – Delaying It Will Only Increase The Cost – Green
The Green Party welcomes the release of “A place to grow old: Securing the future of aged care” report and echoes the need for a plan to support older people to live and age with dignity.
“We need a system where people can receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” says Lawrence Xu-Nan, seniors spokesperson for the Green Party.
“Successive Governments have not addressed the real issue of aged care, such as in-home care and aged residential care, and have continued to kick the can down the road.”
“This report has articulated solutions to address the deficits in our aged care system and the real cost of doing nothing,”
“The Green Party believes those who work in aged care must be respected and rewarded, with secure conditions that enable them to provide high-quality, compassionate support.”
“Yet, New Zealand is heading in the wrong direction with aged care. We have seen the Coalition Government undermining the rights of our doctors, nurses, health care assistants, and the broader aged care workforce.”
“The Green Party are committed to a long-term vision where seniors thrive with dignity and autonomy in vibrant intergenerational communities, ensuring that ageing is a positive process.”
“To achieve that, we need to ensure that our system is fit for purpose.”
Re aged care, why can’t we pick the bones from other country’s policies? I recall that in the 1970’s Singapore’s Housing and Development Board [HDB] literally housed the living by resettling squatters and villagers into small high-rise flats for which they paid a nominal rent until they owned them. It worked well, as most folk had shelter and food. Sadly, in comparison, NZ has allowed the salaries of the wealthy to run away, while the wages for the workers have horribly stagnated. There are many out there who don’t ‘need’ a govt. pension so there has to be a ‘cut-off’ point; many who have never been able to earn sufficient to fund their retirement; and the bludgers/parasites who have spent every cent they have earned with the expectation that the country would look after them in their old age! Thank goodness for KiwiSaver and similar schemes. However, a new pocess has to be implemented and this was a great ‘fast-track’ opportunity that the CoC chose to ignore! So Left, when you are voted in, implement a task force and get on with providing a system to help folk help themselves to live a dignified and safe life after retirement. It should be self funding so should cost about what it does now.