Home & community

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...