Choose your residential care

You choose the rest home or hospital that you want to move to and can afford.

Find residential care in your area

Get a list of the rest homes and hospitals available near you, including their services, facilities and vacancies.

Gather information about a rest home or hospital

You can find out about a rest home or hospital by:

  • visiting the rest home or hospital and talking to the staff and management
  • using a checklist to make sure they offer the environment, services and activities you need
  • reading the Admission Agreement and audit reports.

Checklist to help choose a residential care facility — Eldernet

Services offered in residential care

Admission Agreement — the rest home or hospital must give you this

Ask for a copy of the Admission Agreement, which:

  • explains the responsibilities of the rest home or hospital
  • outlines any additional services and costs, including fees for premium rooms, a telephone and newspapers
  • describes your responsibilities
  • includes the code of residents’ rights.

Your Admission Agreement and care plan

The Code of Residents’ Rights — Eldernet

Audit reports — review of care, facilities and certification

All rest homes and aged residential care facilities are certified and audited by the Ministry of Health (MoH). This is to make sure that all care facilities meet the required standards and residents get safe and proper care.

If there is a serious issue or concern, the MoH or Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand can inspect the home or hospital unannounced.

Audit reports rate each home or hospital against a set of standards and suggest improvements where necessary. The reports cover:

  • how people in the home or hospital are cared for
  • how it is staffed
  • what the relationship between the staff and residents is like
  • how clinical records, policies and procedures are managed
  • the atmosphere in the home
  • the facilities provided.

The Ministry of Health has information about:

Who owns and runs residential care

Residential care homes and hospitals are run by:

  • commercial businesses — these can be owner-operators or larger businesses which operate homes in one region, or all over NZ
  • not-for-profit groups — these include homes run by churches or charities.

For you to get financial help from the government, the rest home or hospital you choose must have a contract with the local Te Whatu Ora — Health NZ.

Contact Seniorline

Seniorline provides information for older people about residential care, community services and how to get help at home.

Utility links and page information

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