Nurses to call for rest home inquiry
PA Wellington The Nurses’ Association will ask for a Commission of Inquiry into care of the elderly in rest homes and private hospitals. The association’s president, Ms Lorraine Sivyer, said that there was great concern about the situation facing elderly people in care. The association would approach the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, about setting up a Commission of Inquiry.
Areas of concern were the lack of adequate firesafety equipment, no formal complaints procedure, inappropriate facilities for the frail elderly, no code of rights for persons in care, sub-standard nursing care, and facilities not being maintained adequately.
“Over the last few months, the association
has approached groups involved in this area as well as those with peripheral interests. The responses received have indicated widespread concern,” Ms Sivyer said.
“The association was aware that there are regulations governing care of the elderly and that there has already been a number of reviews on issues in this area, but it appears that these have been too specific and so have overlooked some major problems,” she said.
There was concern that the elderly in care at some hospitals and homes were increasingly at risk and the association wanted to intervene to help shape better policies for the future, Ms Sivyer said.
“New Zealand has an ageing population and, as
the numbers increase and the lifestyle of the rest of the population changes, elderly people in a nuclear family are at risk.”
Ms Sivyer said she believed New Zealand had to look very carefully at attitudes towards the elderly. There had not been adequate planning to cope with an ageing population and the specific concerns of the association were an indication of where planning had been deficient.
Health professionals had to look at what they were trying to achieve and people from all areas, including elderly people themselves, should become involved in planning.
There was alscr potential for exploitation of elderly patients, she said.
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Press, 13 April 1987, Page 8
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327Nurses to call for rest home inquiry Press, 13 April 1987, Page 8
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