Home & community

In April 2023, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora announced a change to the way that family care is funded. The changes provide more choice and flexibility for those who need support services to remain in their homes and communities. Importantly, it also means that caregivers who provide support...

A caring role is often stressful and no matter how strong and capable you think your carer is, they will need regular time out to recharge their physical and mental batteries. So, who is a carer? While in this instance it’s Sally, a person may be considered a carer even...

Day programmes offer older people an opportunity to connect with a like-minded community, socialise in a stimulating environment and participate in a range of meaningful activities. As well as giving older people a fun day out, day programmes also provide carers and family with time out to take a break....

Giving up a caregiving role is difficult. You’ve probably invested a lot of physical and emotional energy in supporting your spouse/partner, relative or friend to remain at home for as long as possible. When the decision is made to go into a care home you may experience conflicting feelings –...

You may be able to access free or subsidised health and disability services if you meet the following criteria: a NZ citizen or permanent resident or an Australian citizen or permanent resident who’s lived, or intends to live, in NZ for at least 2 years or a work visa holder...

Our community health services were quite fragmented in the past, with GP services scattered around the community. In order to create a more integrated service, meet increasing demand, manage resources well and to utilise new innovation and technology then things needed to be done differently. Over recent years many health...

You can go to a public hospital if you are seriously unwell, and it is an emergency. For all other times you need to be referred by a health professional, usually your doctor. If it’s an emergency phone 111 and ask for an ambulance. If you’re near the hospital and...

There have been a number of significant health system changes in New Zealand Aotearoa since 2022 (e.g., the establishment of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and related agencies by the then Labour Government). The General Election of late 2023 saw a National, ACT and New Zealand Coalition Government...

ACC is a no faults injury scheme in which ACC may pay for costs related to your injury. Following an injury it is important to speak to your health professional about making an application to register the injury with ACC. ACC will then decide whether to accept the claim. You...

In recent years, significant changes were made to the way health services are delivered throughout New Zealand. Previously 20 regional District Health Boards (DHBs) provide or organise health services across the country. As of mid-2022: Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora manages all health services, including hospital and specialist...

Opinions vary as to how often you should have these but once a year is a common standard for older people. Those who keep well are obviously not going to need to see their health advisor as often as someone who has more complex health needs, so the first step...

All health professionals want you to have as positive an experience from your contact with them as possible. People who are informed about their health conditions and who are involved in decision making are more likely to comply with a health plan or regime and are also more satisfied with...

A patient portal allows you to see your own health information. It is accessed via a secure website. While not yet available at all practices you can enquire about it. You can generally join up via your health care providers website or enquire about it when you next visit. It...

Shared goals of care in New Zealand refer to a collaborative approach between people, healthcare professionals, and family/whānau, which aims to align their goals and expectations for a person's treatment and care. Shared goals of care outline how providers should approach discussions of care with adults and their whānau. They...

Evidence shows that we are the people we are, due to a range of factors including our genes, the environment and circumstances that have impacted on us over our lifetime. The video Social Determinants of Health helps us understand some of these factors.

Personalized, precision or functional medicine is a developing area of medicine where information about your genetic makeup helps inform your health professional about what’s required to keep you healthy and, if you are unwell, then what treatments and interventions might be most successful for you. It may also determine how...

Some home support services may be free to the client. There may be a part charge or you may have to pay for your services yourself. It depends on your situation. Funding agencies such as the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, the government...

In many situations you will not require help at home. If you do services will be generally be provided for a short term only and what you receive will depend on your individual circumstances. If your surgery is a result of an accident and you are eligible for ACC support...

This depends on a number of factors including why you need the services, whether other household members can help out and whether you have a Community Services card. Importantly, in April 2023, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora announced a change to the way that family care is funded....

Making Life Easier is New Zealand’s most comprehensive online directory allowing people and their loved ones to find local care and support options, community and advocacy groups, and service providers all in one place. It’s all about supporting older people to live the lives they want! Many older people are...

If a health or disability issue is making it hard for you to stay living at home, help is available. Life is full of times of transition where we move from one stage to another. Managing these is not always easy. One such transition can come when a health or...

While there are many factors that help us stay independent one of the biggest is having meaningful relationships. These relationships include people, pets and places. Meaningful relationships keep us in a good mental space so that we can do all the other things that help us maintain our independence. Since...

The thing to remember about these services that they are usually required every day, and the type of care that’s needed, more complex. Naturally these factors increase the cost as can be seen in the table below. High level services generally include a mix of formal home help and personal...

The following example is for someone requiring standard, non-complex home support services three days a week. It’s a very common scenario based on the services subsidised by the health authorities. Services such as these are generally not required after hours, on weekends or public holidays. If they are, after-hours fees...

Staying at home may be possible but whether you can do this successfully and safely is the big question. Being assessed at rest home level of care indicates that you need quite a lot of assistance with personal care and general day to day activities. Is it possible to get...

There are several factors to consider, firstly whether your surgery was part of an ACC claim or whether it was due to other causes. The type of support you get may vary if your surgery is accident or ACC related. Generally, when someone has had surgery the type of support...

This situation does put you in a difficult position. Your family will probably be acting with the best intentions. Perhaps they noticed that you are finding some things more difficult these days. Hearing their concerns can threaten your independence and feel quite undermining and scary. While it can be tempting...

The type of home help you can get and who pays for it depends on whether you want or need subsidised services (in which case your eligibility is determined by an assessment) or whether you will self pay. Typically home support services include assistance with your personal and, possibly your...

Personal care is care provided to older people by a caregiver or home support service related to personal hygiene and care of your body. This may include tasks such as bathing and showering, personal grooming such as washing your hair, cutting nails or shaving, dressing and undressing, and assisting with...

Some Age Concerns have lists of trusted local home maintenance and tradespeople, so enquire there. Sometimes a recommendation from a friend is a perfect solution, especially for the smaller, less costly jobs. Websites such as New Zealand based Builderscrack and others that are overseas based, offer a matching service where...

A healthy home is one that is warm and dry. To be considered a ‘healthy home’, it must be between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius) and have humidity levels of between 40 and 60 percent). The Healthy Homes Standards provide a set of standards that the home you live in...

Home ownership in New Zealand has been declining for the past 30 years, a fact that has been exacerbated more recently by rising inflation and the increased cost of living. As a result, an increasing number of older people rent. While there are a variety of rental options that may...

The Warmer Kiwi Homes programme offers insulation and heater grants to low-income homeowners. Homeowners who hold a Community Services Card and those who live in areas that are identified as low income (you can check if you live in an eligible area on the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority website)....

Consider the following: lots of your friends are downsizing and your children think it would be a good thing to do, but you're undecided. What are your options and what do you need to consider? Downsizing usually means moving house, and regardless of age is a challenging time. There are...

We should all feel safe and secure in our homes, whether we own, rent, or live in a retirement village. Here, we share some valuable home safety tips for people of all ages as well as some useful tools for older people looking for extra security measures to assist when...

My family want me to move as they think I can’t manage in this house anymore. I appreciate their concerns but don’t necessarily agree with all of them. I’ve got a lot of friends along the street, and I love it here. What can I do? Take a piece of...

Outside Ensure that path surfaces and gradients are safe, clear and moss free. Steps are easier to negotiate when walking than a ramp. Indicate or mark changes in levels. Is it easy to get the mail? Keep bushes and branches trimmed back from pathways and doorways. Use appropriate and assistive...

If you rent a home that has incurred damage as a result of a natural disaster (such as a flood), there are rights you have as a tenant. ConsumerNZ has provided an outline of these: Landlords should be aware they are responsible for maintaining the property. This includes damage caused...

Everyone, regardless of age, deserves to live in a warm, dry home. Living in a home that is cold and damp is bad for your physical and mental health – plus they are more expensive to heat. If you think your home is damp and cold, there are options available...

‘Buying’ into a retirement village can be a great option for those who are wanting to maintain their independence while living among a like-minded community. Yet it’s not the only choice – there are myriad other living options to suit all lifestyles. Staying where you are There is benefit in...

Living in a healthy home – one that is warm and dry - has been linked to improved physical and mental health, and overall wellbeing. There is evidence to show that living in a warmer and drier home prevents rates of illness (particularly for people with respiratory issues), and reduced...

The Winter Energy Payment is an extra payment provided to those eligible to help with the cost of home heating during the cooler months of the year. It is a non-taxable amount paid from May – October. To find current Winter Energy Payment rates, visit the Work and Income website....

If you are new to an area you may find it's not as easy to make friends without the things that made introductions easier in early life. There are new strategies you can adopt. It's all about making your new introductions as natural as possible and it often means going...

If you support businesses in your local area: and if the business is locally owned, then you are supporting another community member, who, in turn, puts money back into the local economy; you’re helping to provide employment opportunities so that people don’t need to move away to find work; you’re...

Working past 65 is fast becoming the norm in New Zealand; in fact, almost half of people aged between 65 – 69 are still in paid employment in New Zealand. People will have their own reasons for wanting to work into their later years; for some it’s about contributing their...

Not only does volunteering have a positive impact on the economy, but also the community and the volunteers themselves. The most common reasons people give for doing voluntary work are: being helpful to others, “paying back” to society, and having a sense of obligation to the future generations. It is...

I’m worried about my neighbour. She’s seems quite private and looks very frail. Sometimes I don’t see any movement at her place for days on end. Should I go and check on her? We live in a society where many people have highly valued privacy and individual responsibility and freedom,...

What community means is a big subject. For some it means very little and for others it’s a daily lived experience. It is something we're likely to have to consider as the new health system rolls out its locality based services. We'll talk about this more as the plan become...

Some care/rest homes in New Zealand may take a respite booking at short notice. They often indicate that they offer this service in their Eldernet listing. Whether or not they can take a short-term respite booking when you need it depends on: the availability of beds (the majority of homes...

Not all rest homes offer formal respite care. The availability of respite care is dependent on whether a rest home or other residential care facility (such as a hospital) has an available bed. It also may depend on whether a facility has enough trained staff on site to cater to...

In New Zealand, formal respite care is usually provided in a rest home or other residential care facility, although it may also be offered in the person’s home in some circumstances. An interRAI assessment is required to access respite care. This is organised by your NASC/older person’s service and is...

You may be able to arrange a booking in advance, although this will depend on the availability of respite care in your region. For those facilities with dedicated respite beds, bookings might be able to be made in advance; some residential care facilities will prefer you to book as far...

No matter how strong and capable a carer is, they need regular time out to recharge their physical and mental batteries. Just like someone with a demanding job is encouraged to take regular leave to ensure they are at the top of their game when they are on the job,...

There are currently two main subsidised packages to support carers in New Zealand. Each generally require some private ‘top up’ funding, which is a disincentive if you can’t afford it. The Carer Support Subsidy This payment is designed to allow full-time carers to take a break. A full-time carer is...

Those who have been assessed as eligible to receive respite care via an interRAI assessment can access respite care in a rest home or other residential care facility. This will generally need to be booked in advance – find a list of rest homes that offer respite care ( as...

The Carer Support Subsidy is a payment offered to carers to help reimburse some of the costs associated with caring. It is paid to the person who is being cared for and is intended to help pay for carer relief (other than those who live with you) to allow the...

What is respite care or short term (short stay) care in New Zealand? Respite is a short-term or temporary care option that provides a break for carers, as no matter how strong and capable a carer is, they need regular time out to recharge their physical and mental batteries. Respite...

Respite care (or short stay) is a temporary care option that allows carers to take a break from their caregiving duties. In New Zealand, respite care is usually provided in a rest home or other residential care facility. It is accessed via an assessment approved by your NASC/older person’s service....

There are two main types of subsidised packages to support carers in New Zealand. Each generally require some private ‘top up’ funding, which is a disincentive if you can’t afford it. The Carer Support subsidy The Carer Support Subsidy is a payment offered to carers to help reimburse some of...

To renew your licence past your 75th birthday you will need to visit your doctor to get a 'Medical certificate for driver licence'. Tell your doctor the certificate is for your driver licence. You will have to pay for the appointment yourself. During your appointment your doctor will discuss your...

Transport is a critical part of staying connected. Remember in your early years when you didn’t have a license yet? While none of us want to go back to those days, the problem solving we used then, might be worth reconsidering now, particularly if you consider that the benefits of...

Helpful and comprehensive information may be found on the Land Transport web site. To access the section for Seniors click HERE

When you turn 75, your licence will be valid for only two to five years, and you will need to present a medical certificate each time you apply. If recommended by your doctor, you will also have to sit a 30-minute On-road Safety Test. As you will need to renew...

If you have limited mobility, mobility scooters can be great to way to maintain your independence and lifestyle. It is however necessary to have comparable skills and be just as safety conscious as you would in any other vehicle. The Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 states that a: mobility...

The Total Mobility Scheme assists people with eligible mobility issues around New Zealand to get access to subsidised door-to-door transport. It is aimed at people with temporary or long-term disabilities who cannot use public transport, and therefore need an alternative mode of transport to live their lives normally and stay...