The Domino Effect Campaign

NZ Aged Care Association have launched a large, national multimedia campaign which you will see across TV, digital channels and social media, and hear on radio.

It features aged care beds crashing down like dominos on everyday Kiwis, to highlight the far-reaching impacts that chronic underfunding of the aged residential care sector will have on all New Zealanders.

As a member of the Aged Care Association, we are fully supportive of this campaign as older people don’t feature in any of the health goals outlined by government or indeed any policy statements from opposition bodies.

Current state of the sector

Chronic underfunding by successive governments has resulted in lack of capital investment in aged care facilities
In the past year, over 1,000 beds have closed permanently and 1,200 temporarily closed due to staff shortages.
In October 2022, the sector was short at least 1,200 nurses, had a nurse vacancy rate of 20% with the annual turnover of nurses at around 50%.
The latest increase in pay for nurses employed by Te Whatu Ora has once again failed to provide pay parity for aged care nurses. It has in fact widened the gap even further.
Older New Zealanders are not able to access the residential care they need, when they need it which has flow on effects to the wider health system.

Visit The Domino Effect to see more information and help spread the word and spur the government into action.