Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board member Jill Taylor is ramping up efforts to improve conditions in New Zealand rest homes.
Jill Taylor
For the past two years, Taylor has directed her concerns to local rest homes, government agencies and her MP Barbara Kuriger. Issues have centred on processes in rest homes, particularly around what she describes as a lack of nutrition in meals, and audit processes.
Taylor is tapping into her experiences working in the aged-care sector for over seven years, and through daily visits to her mother over her five years in a rest home.
“For the last six months of my mother’s life I made her food. She needed soft food, and they couldn’t provide it. I saw things that I think should be changed, but it took me a year after she passed away for me start thinking about trying to do something,” she said.
She believes too little attention is paid to ensuring staff making residents’ meals are appropriately qualified.
She acknowledged costs were a factor but said with appropriate training those preparing the meals should be able to provide nutritious meals with what they have.
She also raised issues around audits. The facility she worked in had spot audits, where authorities dropped in randomly.
“But many of our rest homes seem to have audits booked in. That doesn’t work well. It would be better to have them arrive unannounced, and they should be run over a couple of days, not just a few hours.”
Barbara Kuriger
Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger said she would investigate and suggested Taylor approach various other organisations, including HealthCert, the Health Ministry’s regulation and monitoring arm responsible for ensuring providers deliver safe and reasonable levels of service for consumers.
Kuriger told The News last week a review of funding and service models for aged care services in New Zealand will touch on both the topics raised by Taylor.
A key problem is the increasing costs borne by aged care providers, including wages, Kuriger said. Some facilities might be in a situation where they reduce meal costs to make ends meet.
HealthCert’s response to Taylor described their audit processes as ‘rigorous’ and said providers could tailor their care provision to work within their individual settings or environment. They commended Taylor on her efforts to speak up on behalf of rest home residents, but said much reliance is placed on a provision allowing for residents or whanau to raise complaints with the rest home itself or directly with HealthCare.
Taylor said many family members either don’t see what their rest home family member is given at mealtimes, or don’t raise their concerns for fear their family member might be compromised.
