11. JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Which regions in New Zealand currently lack sufficient respite beds for disabled teenagers and adults who qualify, and what work, if any, is the Minister doing to address the issue?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
Quite a lot of work is going on. The member raises an important issue. The priority areas for increased respite care in this year, 2007-08, are Hawke’s Bay, the Bay of Plenty, the Waikato, and some areas of the South Island—the details are not yet worked out, but it will certainly include Southland. That is where this year’s $4 million additional budget will be targeted. In the year just concluded, an additional $2 million was targeted at Auckland and Christchurch. In the 2008-09 year there will be further targeting, probably at Wellington and Northland.
What explanation can the Minister give to members of the west Auckland family who, on top of looking after a young baby, have just learnt that their severely disabled 13-year-old can no longer attend respite care as there is no appropriate facility in west Auckland that takes clients who are 12 years old or over; and how does the Minister propose that this family survives?
That sort of case not only leads the member to ask her question but leads the ministry and myself to increase the availability of respite care, starting in the areas of greatest need. We do seek continued improvement, and the reason that we know where to go first is that the ministry has been holding consumer fora and actually asking the people who are affected. So we have a fairly informed response.
Maryan StreetThere are, of course, an awful lot, so why do I not just give the House a few examples in order to give members a feel for the various ways that the Government supports those with disabilities and their families? First of all, the level of payment for daily expenses for caregivers is being increased. Secondly, there is an increase in the investment for beds, which was part of my primary answer to the member’s question. Thirdly, there has been a very substantial investment in home-based support services: about a 40 percent increase since March 2005. Last but not least, my colleague the Hon Ruth Dyson yesterday launched New Zealand’s first-ever draft caregiver strategy, which is now available for consultation and to be commented on by all who are interested in it.
How many days of respite care are being allocated but not utilised due to a lack of appropriate services, and surely those figures alone should have been sending an alarm to the Ministry of Health regarding the crisis that faces families who are caring for family members with high and complex needs?
The member is right. Respite care can be a bit tough in various parts of the country—and somewhat seasonal, if I might say that. What happens is that people are allocated respite care on the basis of need, and the areas where need is not able to be met are precisely where the extra investment is going, region by region.