Western Star Column December 2021
Originally published as a column in The Western Star
The effects of the Government's new Covid traffic light system are being felt by rural families with members in rest home care.
Confusion reigns amongst many rest homes and aged care facilities as how to interpret the new rules around access to these facilities.
Some homes, including places in Invercargill, are restricting sign-in entry despite vaccination certificates being provided.
This means family members wanting to visit their elderly loved ones have to make appointments well in advance of their arrival.
Unfortunately, at this busy time of year, this limits access for some families to get to their relatives.
Many of those living in rural areas make a trip to town and have a range of activities to fit into their day, with the new appointment system another hurdle for them to negotiate.
This has proved to be a huge difficulty for many people in my electorate, including Elwyn Jones who contacted my office this week. He was extremely upset that despite travelling all the way into Invercargill to see his 100 year-old Mother, he and his family were refused entry to the rest home.
Further, additional rules dictate that the visits must take place in designated meeting areas, rather than in the family member’s room. This presents an issue for more fragile patients who may not be able to leave their rooms easily or without undue risk.
I acknowledge that maintaining the safety of the vulnerable in our community is extremely important, however I believe poor communication from the Government has led to unnecessary confusion and stress for families in my electorate.
I believe this confusion and stress could have been mitigated if the Government had taken more time prior to instituting its traffic light system, allowed for public submissions and put regions into the traffic light that best defines their risk i.e. Green for Southland, not orange.
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