Protecting vulnerable rest home residents during the pandemic has sparked a bed shortage in rest homes.
Health bosses have revealed fewer residents in Nelson care facilities suffered from seasonal illness and infection.
And the resulting drop in the mortality rate means there are now less available beds for those in need.
Nelson Marlborough Health general manager strategy, primary and community, Cathy O’Malley, says Covid-19 restrictions are partly responsible.
“Fewer residents within aged residential care facilities have suffered from seasonal illnesses during 2020 thanks in part to the protocols instigated by staff to protect the vulnerable during Covid-19 restrictions.
“This has resulted in lower mortality rates in those most at risk of these illnesses such as the frail older adults.
“Covid-19 has therefore put some pressure on Aged Residential Care (ARC) bed numbers.”
But staff say the unintended consequence of the response to the pandemic could be slowly returning to pre Covid-19 levels.
A report to Nelson Marlborough Health board members last month highlighted concerns across both districts.
“Pressures in aged residential care continue across the district as reduced social interaction and effective infection control has meant that fewer elderly people have died as a result of seasonal illness.
“There is some evidence that the bed availability is starting to return to patterns normally seen, but it will take some time to develop reliable bed capacity across all levels of care,” it reads.
A review into bed numbers done at the beginning of last year showed no concerns.
Cathy says the situation changed rapidly and staff have worked quickly to respond.
But an increase in the number of dementia patients will need a longer-term solution.
“Dementia is an area of focus as the aging population grows, last year alone an additional five beds have been made available for high needs people with dementia,” Cathy says.
Staff have been working on improvements and new measures to help, including increasing facility funding to offer additional support.
There is also a dedicated, funded respite bed for rest home or hospital level care which can be used for urgent care or respite.
Staff are working with existing and potential age residential are providers to help ease the situation, says Cathy.
“Our priority is to support people to live well in their own homes for as long as possible and a significant amount of resource and effort goes into achieving this.
“NMH are very appreciative to all the staff in these facilities for their continued diligence and hard work looking after and protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our community during this unprecedented time."
