CE Hon. Tracey Martin is en route to Reefton today to meet with locals fighting to replace the aged care services their community lost earlier this year. For many, the closure of Ziman House has meant loved ones must leave their town, their community, and their loved ones to receive the care they need. Today's update explores the challenges of delivering care in rural areas such as Reefton, and what New Zealand can learn from Australia's approach. Because we don’t have to reinvent the wheel here; we can learn from proven models and adapt them to meet the unique needs of our communities, ensuring equitable access to care for all New Zealanders, no matter where they live. Tracey also points out that these scenarios are the results of decisions. Somewhere along the way, a decision has been made inside Te Whatu Ora, inside government, that it is okay not to provide aged care to some of our communities. The ACA continues to call for members of government to look at what the Australian’s are doing, and consider the benefits for the New Zealand aged care sector of adopting innovative funding models, like block funding, to support rural and regional communities in providing sustainable and locally tailored aged care solutions. #AgedCare #RuralHealthcare #RuralCommunities
Heading off to Reefton today.
