Rest Home & Hospital Information and Advice

The following 7- point check list gives an overview of the steps involved in choosing a rest home or hospital. This short video also contains sound, common sense advice on making your choice. The first minute and a half talks about villages, the rest talks you through choosing a rest home or hospital: www.youtube.com/watch?v=86NLlGNSXVo  To locate an Oceania Group care facility please use the "Find a place" search tool on the left. You can search by care offering and / or location.

The 7 Steps to Receiving Rest Home Care

• Arrange a Needs Assessment Co-ordination Service (NASC) Appointment   This can be requested by the person requiring care or by a family member, friend, GP, district nurse or carer. NASC teams are contracted by District Health Boards and assess the need and eligibility for seniors, and others, to receive funded support and services. Click here to find the NASC team nearest you:

• NASC Assessment A NASC assessor is the only person who can authorise entry to a residential care facility. If it is the case a person meets the criteria to receive rest home or hospital care, they may be eligible to receive a government subsidy or loan to help pay for this. Ask your NASC assessor for the “Residential Care Subsidy Application Form” and a copy of the “Needs Assessment Certificate”.

• Apply for a Residential Care Subsidy Complete the “Residential Care Subsidy Application” and send this to WINZ. WINZ will then complete a “financial means assessment”. This looks at a person’s assets and income and, based on these, works out how much a person has to pay towards their cost of care or if a full subsidy is applicable. This is processed by the WINZ Residential Care Unit in Whangarei. They can be contacted on 0800 999 727.

• Compile a list of rest homes/hospitals or dementia units to visit There are many places you can source this information, including: The Ministry of Health’s website: www.moh.govt.nz. Once on this, look under "Health of Older People in New Zealand". Eldernet’s website: www.eldernet.co.nz. Choose from the "Residential Care" listings Yellow’s "Guide to Retirement Living", 2010/2011. You can order a free copy by going to the grownups.co.nz website. Your local yellow pages- search under "Rest and Convalescent Homes"

• Check list of questions to ask Consumer New Zealand has a helpful check list which reminds you of what to ask the manager when visiting a rest home/hospital or dementia unit. You can find this check list here: www.consumer.org.nz When visiting the senior care facilities on your short list, ask them for their “information pack”. This should contain information on meals, activities, a brochure and the code of rights. Once you have decided on the one you prefer, ask for a copy of and read that facility’s "Admission Agreeement"...

• Admission Agreement This is the contract/agreement the resident signs with the Rest Home or Hospital, before or within 24 hours of admission. The care provider must have an Admission Agreement- it is the legal document that sets outs the responsibilities of both the resident and the rest home/hospital. A person may be able to negotiate different terms if there is something in the Admission Agreement they are not happy with. The Admission Agreement covers: Management of the facility Resident safety and security Transport policies Liability for damage or loss of residents’ personal belongings Procedures Costs Complaint processes Information on when a resident may be required to leave a facility. Services a resident pays extra charges to receive* * Residents can decide to stop receiving extra services whenever they wish. It is worth remembering that a care provider can’t charge you extra for services it provides as part of its contract with its local DHB. These services are called Contracted Care Services.

• Who Should A Resident Talk To If They Have Concerns or Complaints About An Aspect Of Their Care? If a resident or their family member has a concern in this regard it is always best to first talk or write to the manager / owner of the facility. All rest homes, hospitals and dementia units are required to have a complaints process. If you are not satisfied with the provider’s response you then have these options available: For quality of care concerns- contact the Health and Disability Commissioner or the Ministry of Health. For concerns about the services the facility is required to provide- contact the Ministry of Health. For concerns about fees and charges- check your admission agreement. This should specify what you have to pay.