Rest home rules to be gazetted

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 12

Rest home rules to be gazetted

PA ’" Wellington New regulations to ensure that the elderly, had better standards of care in rest homes would be gazetted this week, the Minister of Health (Mr Gair) has said. The Old People’s Homes Regulations, 1965, have been under revision for several years with draft regulations circulated in 1977-and 1979. Mr Gair said the new regulations would be similar to the 1979 draft, although several changes would be made as a result of submissions received from interested parties. For instance, existing homes would .be exempted indefinitely from new bedroom widths and single,’ but not shared, bedroom areas. The draft would be altered so that the ratio of staff required Would relate to the number of residents and not to the number of licensed beds. It would also make clear

! that the licensee of more than one home might only serve as the manager of one home, Mr Gair said. Provisions for homes with three or more residents to be licensed and for the regulations of standards of care and for the delegation of powers by the DirectorGeneral of Health would be incorporated in the new regulations, Mr Gair said. Improved powers of entry and inspection of homes should be provided for the Director-General of Health, Medical Officers of Health, or other people authorised in writing by them,-; Mr Gair. said.- ; ' -" '. . The situation would be watched closely and amendments to the regulation would be necessary, he said. “Many organiastions have suggested that the regulations should apply to dependent people of any age needing residential home care,

such as former, psychiatric patients. . . “Means of ensuring ■ that adequate standards of accommodation and care are provided for such people are now under consideration but I did not-Want Jo delay the promulgation of the revised old people’s homes regulations while this further work is carried out,” he said. Aside from the regulations, there was a need to see that groups overseeing the care of the elderly were cooperating and co-ordinating their activities to ensure that residents’ needs were being properly met and to provide help to those old people who had no-one to look after their finances..A committee had been set up in Auckland to devise a system 'which would ensure such matters were properly attended to, and if it proved satisfactory, it might well be applied elsewhere, Mr Gair said.