Tauranga Electorate's Aged Care Challenge

Potential Solutions

1.     Create a Targeted Aged Care Infrastructure Fund

Issue

Tauranga already has a substantial aged residential care footprint. The challenge is ensuring existing facilities can refurbish, redevelop, expand and modernise before demographic growth outpaces current capacity.

Potential actions

•   establish a national Aged Residential Care (ARC) Infrastructure Fund

•   support refurbishment, redevelopment and replacement of ageing facilities

•   prioritise dementia-capable, psychogeriatric and higher-acuity environments

•   support expansion of capacity ahead of projected demographic demand

•   recognise aged residential care as health infrastructure rather than residential property

•   support investment in recovery, rehabilitation and transitional environments

Potential impact

Builds future capacity before shortages emerge and protects hospital flow as the population ages.

Issue 2

Aged residential care increasingly supports discharge, recovery, reconditioning and transitional care but is not consistently recognised or funded as health system capacity.

Potential actions

·         introduce admission and discharge payments

·         expand transitional and recovery pathways

·         support short-stay, respite, and reconditioning models

·         strengthen discharge coordination across hospitals and providers

·         support earlier discharge and continuity of care

Potential impact

Improves hospital flow, reduces avoidable emergency department returns and supports

recovery closer to home.

Enable Aged Residential Care Providers to Deliver In-Home Support

Alex Zilionis, President

AGED CARE is HEALTH CARE!