Government Ministers have been urged to stop hedging on major issues concerning this country’s seniors and, in many cases, all New Zealanders.
When Grey Power president, Gayle Chambers and national secretary, Jo Miller, visited Parliament last month, they not only spoke with the Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, but also took their concerns to Dr Tracey McLellan the associate health spokesperson for Labour.
In particular, they pressed for urgent action on long consultation and surgery wait times for the elderly and also on the Age Care Review, which, they said had seen no progress in six months.
Regarding age care, Mrs Chambers said home care assistance had been downgraded and, in some cases no home cleaning was offered despite an obvious need for help in this area.
She said it was important that home cleaning was always included in home care assistance to ensure that hygiene and safety were a reality for people still living in their own homes but unable to manage all facets without help.
In particular, she was concerned that the Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination (NASC) had changed the criteria without consultation.
“A pragmatic implementation is just not practicable,” she stated.
The “dire delay’ in geriatric surgeries was also raised. Because it can take up to four months to secure an appointment with a surgeon, and up to another 14 months before surgery, quality of life for elderly patients often declined, Mrs Chambers said.
“The original condition can deteriorate and other health issues arise which may require more help at home that might otherwise not have been needed. For example, delayed cataract surgery may impact on the patient’s ability to drive or manage certain tasks around the house resulting in a call for home and transport assistance.”
Hopeful of renewed action on the Age Care Review, Mrs Chambers asked for regular updates on its progress.
Whilst hopeful of renewed action on the Aged Care Review, Mrs Chambers said delays on tackling the review were perplexing. She urged greater commitment and asked for regular updates on its progress.
