"In the past week, we have been made aware of similar situations occurring in Nelson," said Tracey Martin, Chief Executive of the Aged Care Association. "This is not a behavioural issue, it is a predictable clinical progression of dementia," Martin said. This must include the establishment of a dedicated Aged Residential Care Infrastructure Grant Fund, modelled on Australia’s Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP), which provides targeted grants to build, extend, or upgrade aged care services - including staff accommodation - in regions where access is limited or non-existent. Ministerial Advisory Group must deliver outcomes for peopleThe Aged Care Association acknowledges the establishment of the Ministerial Advisory Group by the current Government as an important step in examining how aged residential care, home-based care, and disability services interact. "It’s about preventing delayed discharges, unnecessary relocation, and people receiving the wrong care because the right care doesn’t exist."

Source: Otago Daily Times January 26, 2026 15:49 UTC