Associate health minister Jo GoodhewFriday 19 October 2012, 1:40PM
Media release from associate health minister Jo
Goodhew
Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has accelerated the timeframe
for the roll-out of a comprehensive clinical assessment tool in
aged residential care to improve the quality of life and care of
residents.
By June 2014 all aged residential facilities in New Zealand will be
participating in the roll-out of the assessment tool, with use of
the tool becoming mandatory in aged residential care from July
2015.
"This is a positive move to build on the good work being done by
aged care providers and ensure people in aged care facilities
across the country are getting a consistently high standard of
care" Mrs Goodhew said.
Internationally recognised, the assessment tool was developed by a
collaborative network of researchers in over 30 countries called
interRAI. The tool will assist nurses in aged care facilities
to provide quality care for residents by providing a comprehensive
clinical assessment of needs that supports the development of
tailor-made care plans.
Mrs Goodhew also notes that comprehensive clinical assessment will
provide opportunities to support continuous quality improvement in
aged care.
"The Auditor General's September 2012 report, Effectiveness of
arrangements to check the standard of services provided by rest
homes, emphasises the importance of comprehensive clinical
assessment in monitoring the quality of care for older
people."
The roll-out in aged residential care follows the successful
implementation of comprehensive clinical assessment for clients of
home-based support services completed earlier in 2012.
District Health Boards started working with the aged residential
care sector to roll out the assessment tool in 2011, after a pilot
programme in Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty.