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People living with dementia are waiting too long for assessments, and can languish for years before getting respite or residential care according to Alzheimers New Zealand.
The aged care sector is 20 percent short of nurses, which has forced the closure of some resthomes and the loss of 500 aged care beds in the last six months.
This at a time when the population is ageing and the incidence of dementia is rising. Alzheimers NZ Chief Executive Catherine Hall says in some areas people are waiting a year to be assessed by a psycho-geriatrician and the wait for residential and respite care can be up to two years.
Ms Hall says everyone - including government - has been warned of the tsunami of need, yet nothing has been done and now the sector is at crisis point. Kathryn also speaks to Aged Care Commissioner Carolyn Cooper.