Latest motions submitted to parliament Health Commission makes one thing clear: New Zealand’s aged care sector is facing a crisis.

This crisis is concentrated on the funding and staffing of aged care homes (ARCs) and residential care and support services.

But the federal government doesn’t should look far to resolve the issue. Australia has modified the best way it funds the sector, calling on wealthier members of society to pay a fairer share of the prices.

New Zealanders in nursing homes

Last yr, an estimated 32,000 people lived in residential aged care. The government’s means-tested residential care grant covers most of the associated fee of care for many who qualify – about 63% of ARC residents.

The ARC subsidy eligibility threshold is total assets of NZ$284,636 or less for a pair aged 65 or over. New Zealand Superannuation, the universal age pension, pays the remaining and provides a modest weekly expenses allowance.

Those with assets above the brink pay for their very own care, increasingly in “care apartments.” These beds, available only to those that can afford the associated fee, reduce what is on the market to subsidized residents, which creates equity issues.

In 2022/23 Health NZ contributed $1.352 billion to ARC providers. Resident fees contributed an extra $1.1 billion.

During the identical period, about 80,000 people over age 65 with social service records or chronic health conditions used home support services (at a value of $2 billion). These services included personal care, cooking, cleansing and respite care. Personal care services weren’t income or asset tested.

Elderly care overview

In July 2023, Health NZ launched Funding Review and models of elderly care services.

The aim of the review is to make recommendations that may ensure equitable access and outcomes for older people across New Zealand, while balancing the necessity to implement a cheap system.

The first phase of the review was accomplished in late December 2023. report Five key issues were identified and there have been no surprises:

• residential care services for older people and residential and social support services are underfunded
• the financing models used to distribute funds to the sector usually are not suited to the intended purpose
• there are material ethnic inequalities in access to eldercare services
• the aged care sector continues to face significant staffing pressures
• Aged care issues are more serious in regional and rural New Zealand.

Phase two involves developing recommendations for service and financing models that may result in a more integrated model of care, efficient use of resources, and regulatory and financing systems which are fit for purpose.

Despite the federal government claiming $1.4 billion in savings under Health NZ, Seniors Minister Casey Costello says the federal government we don’t intend to chop spending on elderly care.

A recent survey found that 56% of respondents’ ARC establishments made a net loss within the 2022/23 financial yr.

Insufficient funding has caused some nursing home providers to scale back the variety of ARC beds of their facilities. Many smaller providers have closed beds or shuttered their doors for good.

In addition, an acute shortage of registered nurses will see greater than 1,000 beds closed permanently and 1,200 closed temporarily in 2023. It is not any wonder that Health NZ estimates a shortfall of 12,000 residential care beds over eight years.

But underfunding the sector is clearly a false economy. The cost of hospital-level care in ARC facilities is lower than 1 / 4 of the associated fee of a bed day in a public hospital medical ward.

As Aged Care Commissioner Carolyn Cooper says in her statement: last report:

A key problem is the shortage of a selected strategy and planning that takes under consideration the health needs of an ageing population.

Common crisis

The aged care crisis is just not confined to New Zealand.

The Australian government has just accomplished sector overview and adopted 23 recommendations of the Task Force on Care for the Elderly.

One of the more significant changes is the requirement for wealthier people to contribute more to overall costs, relatively than counting on taxpayer subsidies.

The urgency of this modification comes from the undeniable fact that greater than half of all residential aged care facilities in Australia usually are not financially viable. Providers need sufficient revenue to cover the prices of providing services. Every facility that closes reduces the supply of residential aged care for the elderly.

The Australian Government will proceed to cover 100% of the associated fee of clinical care services, while increased means-testing arrangements for each day living costs and non-clinical care will be certain that individuals with assets are in a position to self-fund their care.

Taxpayer funding will be certain that people without assets have access to the care they need.

These changes will improve the financial health of healthcare facilities and in addition improve intergenerational equity by reducing the burden on taxpayers.

An unimaginable burden

New Zealand could learn from Australia. NZ Statistics It is predicted that by 2028 the share of individuals aged 65+ will reach 20% of the population. Within 4 years, there may very well be 30 people aged 65+ for each 100 people aged 15–64.

Older persons are frequent users of health services, and most care and support for older people is currently funded by taxpayers. Without a change within the funding model, working-age residents will face an increasingly heavy burden.

The sector review must be certain that wealthier users of aged care services contribute adequately. Intergenerational equity must be considered in any redesign of aged care provision.

Method Man wants to be known for greater than just his looks. During a recent appearance on the show, he shared the importance of prioritizing respect over his status as a sex symbol.

On the show, Tamron Hall asked him about a quote from his 2023 speech. Men’s health cover. “In the article, you said, ‘I’m not a sex symbol.’ You said that sometimes you don’t want to be desired; you just want to be respected.” Hall also touched on Method Man’s tendency to take his shirt off in public, such as at a recent Usher concert: “How do you reconcile not wanting to be desired with constantly having your shirt unbuttoned?”

He quickly responded, “That’s the thing; now that I have it, I’m going to show it, but not for that reason.” The legendary rapper continued, “I’m showing it while I still have it. But that’s the thing, right? I love the admiration. I love it. Does it ever get awkward? Absolutely. Sometimes you just want to blend in, and I’m that type of person.”

Hall replied, “You can never fit in.” Method Man continued, “Sometimes I do. Again, I can appreciate the admiration. And then there are the only things where he’s like, ‘The Greatest Man Alive.’ I mean, you can pour fuel on the fire all you want, but honestly, I think we’re all beautiful and sexy in our own way, so let’s be sexy together.”

In his cover, the artist shared that he just isn’t a sex symbol. “That’s the fucking point, man. Put the words together. Sex and symbol. What’s the symbol? I ain’t doing nothing. So what’s the symbol?” he said. “I’m not gonna lie, I love every damn minute of it, but I don’t want to be that guy who, when the clock starts ticking, is still trying to be sexy.”

He continued, “I mean, Smokey Robinson will always be sexy to someone. I’m not using him as an example — I’m just saying that considering where Smokey is now, if Smokey was around at the same time as he was then, it would look ridiculous. And Smokey knew he was a sexy motherfucker. You get to a certain age where you just stop caring, and I think that’s the sexiest thing in the world.”

A couple of weeks before Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey announced in May 2024 that they were expecting a baby, the pop icon posted a selfie of he looks tearful and desperate.

While media attention quickly focused on the pregnancy, little attention was paid to the significance of the male star and the future father publicly shares his sensitivity.

But Bieber’s social media post is noteworthy since it highlights his internal conflict.

Emotional pain is linked to serious health problems. Yet the public’s response to male displays of emotion and vulnerability is commonly minimized, if not dismissed. In response to Bieber’s tearful post, for instance, Hailey described it as “pretty crybaby.”

A yr ago, Canadian rapper Dax released the song “Being a person.” He said at the time: “This is a song that I put my heart into. I pray that it reaches everyone who needs it.”

The message of this song remains to be relevant today. Contains song lyrics:

How researchers Who study fatherhood and the roles that men play their familieswe recognize the loneliness and pain in these lyrics. We heard fathers describe the cost of attempting to keep their feelings in check.

IN the last study we conducted for 75 latest and expectant black fathers, they spoke of the need to deal with individual and collective trauma. This, they said, will ultimately help support their families. But they said resources to assist men with mental health are sometimes unavailable or very limited. They said they often feel invisible to health care providers.

“Being a father and a man,” one participant said, “you have to keep the peace and be strong on the outside. But on the inside, you know, you’re falling apart.”

Dax’s writing and our research reflect a perennial societal health concern—the deafening silence that typically surrounds men’s mental health issues.

The impact of isolation on men

In May 2023, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a warning highlighting what he described as the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the country. Our research confirms this plague.

Because men’s social support networks—colleagues, family, close childhood friends—are sometimes weaker than women’s, the epidemic disproportionately affects men. The resulting loneliness has very real health consequences.

In Murthy’s report, loneliness is related to negative health outcomes, including “a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia in older adults. In addition, a lack of social connections increases the risk of premature death by more than 60%.”

Although Murthy’s report focuses on each men and girls, research shows that it’s men are less likely than women to hunt mental health helpFurthermore, men have a more negative attitude towards searching for help and usually tend to discontinue treatment prematurely than women.

With these consequences in mind, a caring society might ask itself: Why do men bear the brunt of this health threat, and what will be done about it?

Redefining the value of men beyond just making a living

Many aspects can contribute to men feeling isolated and disconnected.

In “To Be A Man,” Dax points out one vital factor:

Traditional definitions of masculinity emphasize the importance of the man’s role as the family breadwinner.

Uncertain economy AND increasingly more expensive apartments and food prices make it unaffordable for a lot of men to offer financially for his or her families. These aspects also undermine men’s self-esteem and contribute to loneliness and feelings of alienation.

As partners and fathers, men are still often seen as inadequate in the event that they are unable to offer financially. And social norms emphasize that they are usually not valued for his or her abilities as caregivers, whilst they’re more involved in raising children than ever before.

This is detached from reality.

Men play a crucial role as caregivers of their children’s lives, in keeping with our research, and have a powerful influence on their children’s health and well-being. Men also find meaning of their role as fathers.

As Dax says:

The Cost of Suppressed Vulnerability

In addition to the pressure to offer for themselves, men must also overcome stereotypes that suggest they ought to be stoic and conceal their fears and sadness.

Here too, gender norms should be updated. Boys and men have to feel comfortable presenting their true, authentic selves to the world. When they suppress their vulnerability, it creates a barrier to searching for help. It also perpetuates stigma and the epidemic of loneliness.

There is a fancy relationship between society’s assumptions and beliefs about men and fatherhood.

As a result, men are less likely than women to hunt mental health services. As a result, health care providers are they usually tend to underdiagnose and misdiagnose menFurthermore, when health resources are made available, they are sometimes not tailored to the needs of men.

Societal expectations can create unbearable pressure on men. And the most marginalized groups, as low-income black fathersbear a disproportionate burden, research shows. This has turn into more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Black fathers working in high-risk and essential jobs have prioritized supporting their children and families over their very own risks of infection and mental health.

As men proceed to redefine their roles inside families and communities, it is necessary for society to create an area that recognizes and accepts their vulnerability and full humanity in all social roles.

Men need an outlet for his or her pain. They would profit from relationships – with partners, family and friends – who support and nurture them in moments of joy and emotional challenges. Their loneliness will proceed to be disproportionate without the obligatory connection to services.

Men may consider participating in low-stakes discussion groups of their communities, online groups, and at their churches. They may additionally hunt down therapists in person or online for introductory sessions test the therapeutic interaction before establishing a more consistent pattern of therapeutic services.

In the song “To Be a Man” Dax sings:

As the Biebers adjust to life as parents, Justin can find people to talk over with about his experiences and emotions, individuals who see and appreciate him fully. And we hope that is the same for each man and father, living out of the highlight and doing the best they’ll for themselves and their family.