PRESS
RELEASE
29
August 2005
For
immediate release
No
new funding for cash-strapped home care providers
in pre-election lolly scramble
There
are no pre-election sweetners on the horizon for
the home health care sector which is in a state
of crisis due to pitifully low wage rates and workers
having to fund their own travel costs and time.
Last
month Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) launched a
petition calling for the reimbursement of travel
costs for the country's 30,000 home care workers.
The petition, which will be presented to Parliament
after the election, is drawing strong support around
the country.
However
there is no sign of home health care benefiting
from the pre-election lolly scramble.
Instead
the Government has responded to increasing pressure
to fund home support workers' travel costs by stating
that the $15.5 million allocated to the sector in
the May 2005 Budget will now only be paid out to
home care providers if they have an approved “fair”
travel policy in place.
Graeme
Titcombe, president of the New Zealand Home Health
Association Inc has labelled this a “smoke and mirrors”
proposal, which attempts to deflect criticism for
the non-funding of travel away from the Government
and on to the providers.
RWNZ
agrees.
“If
the extra Budget funding is required to be spent
on travel reimbursement, it will not be available
for wage increases and holiday pay. The current
average wage of $9.80 will fail to attract new staff
and the 39% annual turnover will worsen,” says RWNZ
National President, Sherill Dackers.
$15.5
million falls far short of what is required to address
the industry's near state of collapse. A Ministry
of Health study has shown reimbursement of travel
costs would require around $18.6 million, while
to bring in pay parity with DHB Aides, on equivalent
pay scales, would require an additional $100 million.
“Workers
are being exploited while the safety and wellbeing
of elderly and vulnerable people is put at risk,”
says Sherrill Dackers. “Thousands of referrals a
year are being turned down by home health companies
who cannot attract the staff to provide the services
people are entitled to receive.”
RWNZ
is also disappointed that none of the $15.5 million
from the May Budget has yet been received by home
health providers, as officials work on the parameters
of the “fair” travel policy and how it could be
implemented.
For
further information contact: Sherrill Dackers
National
President
Rural
Women New Zealand
(09)
437 0572
021
323210
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