Government urged to move quickly to fix broken aged care system

Alzheimers NZ is urging the Government to speed up plans to reform the broken aged care sector, following comments by a prominent Southland doctor that he is forced to sedate patients with dementia.

Dr Daniel Allan, a psychiatrist for the elderly, made the comments while briefing the Health Select Committee about the challenges he faces as a clinician working in the aged care sector.

Alzheimers NZ chief executive, Catherine Hall, said Dr Allan’s last resort treatment options show just how broken the aged care system is.

“We can’t stress forcibly enough the urgent need to introduce a fully integrated continuum of care for older New Zealanders.

“We need appropriate and adequately funded community dementia services, equitable access to GP services, in-home support, and ready access to respite for those who need it.  This would help people live at home as independently as possible, for as long as possible, relieving pressure on the system.

“And when the need arises, we need adequate numbers of aged residential care beds that people can transition to seamlessly when they need those services.

“Then clinicians, like Dr Daniel Allan, won’t have to prescribe drugs as a first rather than last resort option to support their patients.”

Ms Hall said older New Zealanders, especially those with dementia, have been let down by a dangerous lack of policy foresight by successive governments.  This has meant services in the aged care sector have been significantly outpaced by demand.

She says in the dementia sector alone, some 30,000 New Zealanders – a population the size of Queenstown – can’t access community dementia support because the services just aren’t available.

She acknowledges this Government is trying to address the problem.  It has two reviews in place – one conducted by the Health Select Committee, the other by Health NZ.

“We have told these reviews a very good use of Government money would be funding and implementing the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan, designing and implementing a properly integrated continuum of healthcare services for older people and thirdly, providing fair funding for the struggling community-based dementia support services.

“Those initiatives are investments that will produce tangible returns and would support this Government’s stated commitment to prioritise sustainability and quality in health services for older people.

“There’s really no downside to what we’re proposing.”