Photo: Photo / 123RF
Staff at rest homes run by Oceania Healthcare are worried plans to cut the number of nurses and caregivers rostered on shifts will put elderly residents' safety at risk.
Workers at five Oceania aged care facilities across the country have been told their hours will be slashed by an average of a quarter as part of a restructuring.
Employees- who did not want to be identified - told RNZ the cuts meant they would not be able to pay their bills, and having fewer people on duty would impact the care residents received.
Oceania said it could not say how many nurses and caregivers were having their hours reduced as consultation remained ongoing at some sites, but it rejected any suggestion that changes to rosters would compromise the safety of residents.
Oceania employs more than 3000 staff at 38 rest homes throughout the motu.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) chief executive Paul Goulter said the union was aware of restructuring happening in Auckland, Nelson, Tauranga, and Upper Hutt.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation chief executive Paul Goulter at a rally in Christchurch last year. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Last week, workers at Oceania's Lady Allum facility in Auckland picketed outside their workplace in protest of the cuts to staffing hours. NZNO said at least 100 staff would be affected at that centre.
"We are quite alarmed at [the cuts] because what our experience shows is that having fewer nurses and healthcare assistants, caregivers on duty really does put the health and safety of residents inside these facilities at risk," Goulter said.
"We don't think that that's either appropriate or probably economically warranted.
"Some of our members face losing up to 25 percent of their work and that really is a significant number, it means it puts them into the job market because they can't survive on the balance."
One Oceania care worker and NZNO member who spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity said she felt sorry for the residents who she believed would be the most affected by the cuts.
"I don't know what will happen to the quality of care they're getting, it will probably be reduced because how will they expect one staff member or two to look after 25 people if everyone is trying to ring their bell to go to the toilet... people are at a high risk of falling," she said.
"We don't want to be operating like a factory, rushing people but I just feel like it won't be the quality of care that they would expect, especially as advertised by Oceania."
The woman said she faced losing about 20 hours a fortnight off her roster, which was close to $800 of her wages.
"I feel anxious, especially for me being the breadwinner of the family it's a huge responsibility that I've got and not able to meet those needs financially it's nerve-racking," she said.
An NZNO member who works at an Oceania aged care centre in Auckland said her hours were being cut by 25 percent.
She said staff were already under a lot of pressure to look after everyone and fewer people on duty would have a big impact.
"We're not looking forward to going to work because of that reason. We feel so down, and the residents are not happy with the changes. They feel unsafe, they are very worried and stressed out," she said.
"We connect with the residents then all of a sudden they cut down our hours, they rotate the shifts... and then the more new faces of staff the more they become confused, unsettled, uncomfortable, because they are accustomed to the old staff."
Another Auckland worker and NZNO member said Oceania's proposal was too sudden.
She said staff were unhappy with inconsistent hours as well as a new four-days-on two-days-off schedule which would limit time spent with their families.
"Personally it will affect my mortgage and support of my family, I just cancelled my insurance because I can't afford it in the future," she said.
Oceania national operations manager Jodie Schorn told RNZ that any restructuring changes had been based on the specific needs of each village and were carefully considered to maintain safe staffing levels.
"As part of our regular operational reviews, we assess staffing structures to ensure they remain aligned with resident care needs and safe staffing guidelines," she said.
"Following a recent review, we identified the need to adjust rosters at some of our villages to ensure a fair and balanced distribution of shifts while continuing to meet or exceed Te Whatu Ora safe staffing requirements."
Schorn said resident well-being and safety remained the company's highest priority.
"As with any operational change, we will continue to closely monitor its impact post-implementation and remain open to staff and resident feedback to ensure care quality and workplace balance," she said.
"We understand that change can be challenging, and we deeply value our team's dedication to resident care.
"That is why we have remained actively engaged with staff and unions, listening to their feedback, and considering all input before making final decisions.
"Our focus is on balancing the needs of our residents with a fair and practical approach for our workforce.
"Consultation remains ongoing at some sites, and we continue to work through staff and union feedback before any roster updates take effect."
Goulter said the country's funding model for the aged care sector was "absolutely failing" and no longer sustainable.
"This is not just confined to Oceania, it is right across the aged residential care sector," he said.
"We have to, and I'd hope the employers are doing this, impress on government that they need to address that funding model and it's going to cost, but the number of people who are going to be moving into aged care facilities will increase as our population ages so best to get ahead of the curve."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
