Resthomes dangerously underfunded: Nurses

New Zealand nurses say rest homes and aged-care hospitals are in urgent need of government funding to prevent more deaths.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is speaking out after Wellington coroner Garry Evans last week called for an urgent review of rest home funding after the deaths of two people.

NZNO industrial advisor Lynley Mulrine said the care need of the elderly was often complex and their behaviours unpredictable.

"The cases the coroner has investigated are not isolated; we continue to hear of similar incidences happening all across New Zealand."

The situations would continue until there was substantial investment in training, decent pay and minimum staffing levels, Ms Mulrine said.

"Elderly New Zealanders are dying unnecessarily in residential care because the Government is not providing enough funding to ensure these facilities are staffed safely and that all staff are trained adequately to care for their elderly residents."

Health Minister Tony Ryall had announced the Government would provide a three per cent inflation adjustment for the age-care sector and an extra two per cent to help nursing retention.

But Ms Mulrine said these amounts which were "extremely disappointing".

The average caregiver earned $13 and hour which was barely above minimum wage while registered nurses were paid substantially less than their district heath board (DHB) counterparts and two per cent would not close the gap.

"Low wages mean it is very difficult to attract and retain caregivers and registered nurses to work in residential care when they could get a job working in a supermarket or in a DHB hospital and earn more."

- NZPA