Health officials say some vulnerable elderly people turn to boarding hostels as a last resort - but support workers are too afraid to check on them.
A Parliamentary select committee investigating the standards of the country's boarding hostels, has heard submissions today.
Claire Aspinall, from Wellington Regional Public Health, says many community support workers refuse to visit clients at boarding hostels, which puts elderly people at risk.
“The needs of the people living there are quite high and I’ve heard stories of people who are not qualified in any way shape or form trying to perform CPR on people who have collapsed.”
Ms Aspinall is also calling for a register of boarding house tenants.
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