Sector evidence
Sector body
June 2026
Next review not yet scheduled
New Zealand
Medium confidence
published
SNZ editorial review
Evidence boundary: This record summarises the cited source. It does not establish local availability, individual eligibility, or professional advice.
Short Answer
- Title: Care in Crisis / Manaaki i te Raru — NZNO Aged Care Staffing Report
Key Points
- •Chronic understaffing — ARC facilities consistently operate below safe staffing thresholds, with insufficient registered nurses (RNs) on duty to meet resident acuity levels.
- •Missed care — Essential clinical and personal care tasks are routinely missed or delayed due to staffing shortages, compromising resident safety and dignity.
- •Reliance on unregulated caregivers — A growing proportion of the care workforce comprises unregulated caregivers working without adequate RN supervision, creating clinical risk.
- •Lack of RNs on site — Many facilities, particularly in rural areas, lack 24/7 RN coverage, contravening best-practice models for aged residential care.
Full Summary & Notes
- Title: Care in Crisis / Manaaki i te Raru — NZNO Aged Care Staffing Report - Publisher: New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) - Format: PDF (3.1 MB) - Source URL: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nzno/pages/2263/attachments/original/1760561748/Care_in_Crisis_Manaaki_i_te_Raru_Report_-_NZNO.pdf?1760561748 (opens in a new tab) - File location: '11_Market_and_Industry_Reports/2025 - NZNO - Care in Crisis Aged Care Staffing Report.pdf' This report from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) investigates staffing levels and working conditions in aged residential care (ARC) facilities across New Zealand. It documents systemic failures in the aged care sector driven by chronic under-resourcing and an outdated funding model. - Chronic understaffing — ARC facilities consistently operate below safe staffing thresholds, with insufficient registered nurses (RNs) on duty to meet resident acuity levels. - Missed care — Essential clinical and personal care tasks are routinely missed or delayed due to staffing shortages, compromising resident safety and dignity. - Reliance on unregulated caregivers — A growing proportion of the care workforce comprises unregulated caregivers working without adequate RN supervision, creating clinical risk. - Lack of RNs on site — Many facilities, particularly in rural areas, lack 24/7 RN coverage, contravening best-practice models for aged residential care. - Funding model failure — The current funding and reimbursement model (DRS an
Read bundled source notes
The saved source file may include fuller notes and references than the indexed summary. Check its dates and evidence limits.
Loading saved source notes…
Document Details & Metadata
Related Resources
Historical FY2024 operator report on care occupancy, resident and employee feedback, development, audited financial statements, climate scenarios and governance; underlying profit and care-quality narrative have separate assurance limits.
Its Martin Oettli profile records his June 2011 start as Real Living chief executive, growth of the group from one Pakuranga village to four Auckland villages, two with co-located care, and his prior executive, governance and international sector experience.
FY2024 care operator report on high-acuity beds, employee and resident feedback, RConnect staffing, community activity, new home-support plans and audited financial results; 49 PDF spreads contain the numbered report through page 95.
Historical FY2025 report covering village and co-located care capacity, mixed unit/suite completions, workforce feedback, development plans, emissions accounting and audited financial statements; portfolio excludes the Palmerston North joint venture.
42-page FY2026 financial annual report with a short portfolio and leadership overview, audited statements, valuation and resident-loan notes, planned development and limited resident-feedback reporting; separate from the two-page results release.
Two-page issuer results release linking unaudited underlying EBITDA, mixed care-suite/apartment completions and portfolio growth to the year ended March 2026; should be read with the full financial annual report, doc-0194.