A woman with a disability warns those who rely on in-home care are at risk under the for-profit model.
Matty Angel headed to Parliament to call for an inquiry into an in-home care model she says is dangerous. Photo: RNZ / Rosie Gordon
Complaints about in-home care have doubled from 2019 to 2021, and despite Te Whatu Ora Health NZ saying a reduction of services should be a "last resort," RNZ has heard from in-home care clients being asked if their care can be cut back.
Matty Angel presented a petition calling for an urgent inquiry into for-profit in-home care services for people with disabilities to Parliament's Health Select Committee on Wednesday 24 August.
Angel herself needs a wheelchair to get around and relies on in-home care to carry out day-to-day tasks.
She has had first-hand experience with care that is unreliable or inconsistent.
"In 2014, the care agency providing care for me decided to pull out from providing that care. They did it over an Easter weekend, I was just told my care workers would no longer be going.
"So I survived on my own for a week. Being left on my own was quite terrifying."
A friend had to drive five hours to help her shower.
Angel said stories of people with disabilities going without proper care are increasing under a for-profit in-home-care model.
"There has been a lot of cost-cutting with a lot of these organisations.
"They don't want to spend the money to train and provide the proper support for workers."
Angel warned the impact that has on care could have grave consequences.
"My biggest concern is that more of my friends will die. That basically sums up my whole point of doing this."
Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ's Mark Powell fronted up to the Health Select Committee and revealed complaints about in-home care to the Health and Disability Commissioner had doubled.
"The complaints have doubled, unfortunately, from 41 in 2019 to 80 in 2021."
Complaints to the National Advocacy Service reported a 50 percent increase in home and community support-related complaints.
Powell acknowledged there were workforce shortages and told the hearing Te Whatu Ora had set up a task force to work with employers.
Te Whatu Ora also planned to increase funding for the home and community support sector by $42.28 million for 2022-2023.
Angel shook her head as Powell spoke, and believed it would take more than funding to solve the problems.
RNZ has also heard from clients who say providers have asked them if they can reduce any of the support they receive amid pressure on the workforce.
That included a 43-year-old woman who wished to remain anonymous. She needed in-home care to support her with a condition that caused her to pass out easily and said she could not have services reduced.
As it is, the woman said the timing and quality of her care was inconsistent.
"Say I am getting help with a shower, you'll have some care workers that move you around like a piece of meat.
"They're just so de-sensitised to it because they can't connect with their clients because it's just 'get this one in, this next one, this next one.' Sometimes [carers see] 12 clients a day."
Care worker's union PSA supported the call for an inquiry and said workers feel stressed out amid a workforce shortage.
"At the moment they're just too fearful around taking leave because they're worried that the people they support each day aren't going to get any other support workers showing up to give them those cares," PSA spokesperson Melissa Woolley said.
Health Minister Andrew Little said the select committee would consider whether or not to have an inquiry and he would wait and see what it came up with.
Andrew Little. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
"I don't think it is unhelpful just to examine the current state of home care," he said.
Little acknowledged the impact on those relying on care.
"The fact that somebody does not turn up can be extraordinarily distressing, that's why we need to make sure with that workforce that they are remunerated well and we're going through a pay equity claim with that particular workforce at the moment."
The Home and Community Health Association said there were issues, but no care organisation was making greater profits than necessary to sustain the viability of those organisations.