If I live in a retirement village will I get access to the care home on-site?
The truth is that if you need a high level of support and can no longer stay in your village unit, you are likely to be able to access care in the onsite care facility. This isn’t always possible, however, and a small percentage of residents may not be able to access onsite care.
For example, if the care level you require is available onsite but there is no vacancy, you may find that you need to move temporarily whilst you wait for a bed to become available. This can be a good solution, although it requires clear understanding of the fees and timings of notice periods.
Your Occupational Rights Agreement (ORA) should explain how access to on-site care may work, however no-one is guaranteed access to on-site care.
It is hard to predict if you, or someone you are supporting, will be part of that small percentage who don’t have access to care as this can depend on a wide range of factors and these factors can change day-by-day. These factors could be around current vacancies at the on-site care home, as mentioned, or the type of care you may need to receive. You will find residential care vacancies here.
Make sure you clearly understand how paying for care works and what the separate admission agreements entail.
You will find a glossary of key terms and definitions in New Zealand here.
Updated: 13 Jul 2023