Homes For Aged Registration To Maintain Satisfactory Standards

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 3

Homes For Aged Registration To Maintain Satisfactory Standards

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, September 30.

The Health Amendment Bill dealing with the registration of aged people’s homes was a start in effecting the Government’s desire to see that the homes were of satisfactory standard, said the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) in Parliament today. The bill provides for the registration of homes for six or more persons.

“If it is later found that the number should be brought down to, say, four, the Government would consider it,” said Mr McKay. The Government was reluctant to interfere with people who took old people in out of the kindness of their hearts. But, now that there was more accommodation for old people a start could be made with registration, said Mr McKay. “On the advice 1 have had from welfare workers in organisations—not depart-

mental advice—l believe that if legislation had been introduced earlier it would have meant the closing of many homes.” The impression should not be given that all homes were of poor standard. Many were good. Nor was there any precise information about the nature of homes, though information came from persons working in the field of aged people's welfare. The bill would be a start in a move to ensure proper standards, Mr McKay said. A clause in the bill provides that temporary licences may be granted for old people’s homes. Accommoda-

tion conditions may be prescribed and the definition of “home” has been altered to increase from two to six persons over 65 the number which will bring such premises within licensing requirements. A further change is that it will be an offence to hold out that any “home” is a licensed private hospital or registered as a “home” when they are not. Mr N. J. King (Opp., Waitemata) objected to the change in the definition, for the purposes of licensing an old people’s home, from one boarding two persons over 65 to six. He said anyone taking in aged persons on a commercial basis should be prepared to conform to minimum standards, regardless of the number accommodated. Mr J. B. Gordon (Govt., Clutha) said the Labour Government in 1958 had provided for regulations to licence places taking in two or more old persons, but found its objectives unworkable. Now it was opposing regulations which would be workable and could, with time, be altered Ito reduce the number of I guests where licensing would ■ applyThe bill was read a second time.