Are NZ Rest Homes In Crisis?

After our last episode on aged residential care, the comments came flooding in: stories of neglect, overworked staff, and rest homes run purely for profit. So we brought Tracey Martin, chief executive of the New Zealand Aged Care Association, back to answer them head-on. In this episode, Tracey puts the headlines in context. Of 5,300 complaints to the Health and Disability Commissioner over 15 months, just 203 were about aged residential care, and only three needed further investigation. We get into why 60% of care beds are run by charities, not-for-profits and small owner-operators rather than big listed companies, and what $187 a day of rest home funding actually has to cover. Tracey walks us through the needs assessment, the four levels of care (and why "hospital level care" doesn't mean you're in a hospital), the ten-kilometre rule, and why the rest home of 20 years ago, where residents drove themselves in, no longer exists. We also cover the money side nobody explains: how the family home and car are protected for the spouse still living at home, why you should apply for the residential care subsidy straight away and tick the box to have super paid directly to the facility, and what happens when families don't. Plus Tracey shares The Long Drive campaign, including the 83-year-old Hokitika man who made a 280 km round trip to visit his wife in dementia care for four and a half years. We finish with the Ministerial Advisory Group's 40 recommendations, why Australia's "care minutes" backfired, and how Health New Zealand is recruiting nurses straight out of aged care. If you've ever read a rest home horror story and wondered whether that's the whole picture, or you're facing the decision about care for mum or dad, this one's for you. Learn more about how Age Brightly can support you and your family at agebrightly.co.nz. The Next Bit Host is: Hannah McQueen - Founder of Brightly Guest: Tracey Martin - Chief Executive of the New Zealand Aged Care Association Join our community! We love to hear your feedback and questions. Instagram:   / thenextbitpodcast   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... TikTok:   / thenextbitpodcast   YouTube:    / @thenextbitpodcast   Credits Director, Executive Producer & Editor: Arama Murray from Mention Direction Podcast Creator, Executive Producer & Host: Hannah McQueen Research & Production: Shelley Smith Additional Support: Billy McQueen