National's health spokesman Tony Ryall today pledged to reprioritise $5 million of health spending for more respite beds, while his associate spokeswoman Jo Goodhew promised $18 million more to help rest homes support and keep nursing staff.
DHBs currently spent about $10 million a year on respite beds in aged-care facilities.
Mr Ryall said today's announcement also covered older people looking after themselves who needed a short stay in a residential care facility because of illness.
"Respite care is a key way of helping people who are looking after an aged family member, by giving them a short break from care-giving responsibilities," he said.
"By making more dedicated respite beds available we will be able to better support unpaid caregivers so that the stress of caring doesn't affect their health, and also support older New Zealanders to remain in their own homes longer."
National would do a stock take to try to ensure district health boards were providing a nationally consistent service, he said.
Ms Goodhew said the funding promise for the support and retention of rest home nursing staff would improve the quality of supervision and nursing of the elderly.
She said the pay gap between registered nurses working in rest homes and their counterparts at DHBs was growing meaning rest homes were finding it difficult to keep staff.
National would also inflation-proof aged-care subsidies and work with the sector to develop a long-term plan.
Healthcare Providers New Zealand welcomed the announcements.
Chief executive Martin Taylor said the policy would stabilise the sector in 2009 and allow more long-term planning to take place.
