Is a rest home, care home, and residential care the same?

The short answer is, yes -sort of – but not quite.

"Care home" and "residential care" are generic terms. They describe the overall service: a place where people live and receive care and support when they need help with daily living.

A "rest home", on the other hand, refers to a specific level of care within that broader environment (you can find out more about the levels of care here). Just to make things a little confusing, the term "rest home" is also widely used by the general public in a broader sense to refer to care homes and residential care.

Here's an easy way to think about it:

• A car is a general category of vehicle.
• A hatchback is one specific type of car.

So:

• Residential care / care home = the broad category
• Rest home = a specific type of residential care service.

Just to clarify: none of these terms refer to retirement villages. Some retirement villages may also offer these services, but the village itself is not defined as residential care.

If you'd like to explore your options or browse providers, you can find care homes across New Zealand on Eldernet Residential Care.