Rethinking the future of aged care

Recent reports reveal that:

• Over 1.2 million Kiwis will be aged 65+ by 2034, putting even more pressure on aged care services.¹
• 60% of seniors without a home or private superannuation won’t be able to afford residential care in the future.¹
• 200,000 hospital beds are currently under threat, which means the ill or frail may have nowhere to go.²

“Sadly, in the near future, New Zealand’s aged care sector may not be able to meet the growing needs of our ageing population,” says HBH Group CEO, Juliette Tuckey. “At the moment, Government funding only covers the absolute basics of aged care – and even that is under threat.”

Furthermore, more complex care is becoming increasingly difficult to access, prompting many providers to consider restricting these services to their residents only. “This is extremely concerning, as it means many seniors who are ill, frail or suffering cognitive decline will be unable to access the high-level care they need,” says Juliette.

HBH is one of the few providers in the area providing more complex aged care services, but these services cost more,” she continues. “We’re also the only provider offering wraparound services to enhance the wellbeing of seniors – including dedicated respite care, our Day Programme and Virtual Village East – and we never want to compromise on this level of care.”

The increasing lack of standard rooms in the sector is also of great concern. “There is an assumption that standard beds will always be available in the future, but that’s not the case,” Juliette explains. “Unfortunately, premium beds are how most aged care providers support their shortfall. Already, we’re having to to turn away people who can only afford standard beds due to funding restraints, and this issue is likely to exacerbate in the coming years.”

These changes have led to a rethink in the way HBH is funded. “We’ve always had the best interests of our community at heart,” she says. “However, this does mean we will increasingly need to rely on the generosity of others to be financially sustainable. We’ve been serving the Howick community for almost 50 years. Now, we’re seeking the support of our community to ensure we can continue delivering high-quality care for the next 50 years.”