Search Results for "life plus"

When making the decision to go into a care home it is common to experience a lot of conflicting feelings. You and your family/whānau may have had quite differing views on the benefits of this and the decision may not have been easily reached. This is one of life’s major...

Specialist Hospital/Psychogeriatric Care is a type of care designed for people with a mental health or dementia disorder who require a high level of nursing care and management of challenging behaviour. They therefore require a secure environment and the skills of staff trained in psychogeriatric care. Psychogeriatric care is care...

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...

Palliative care is a specialist type of care that focuses on the person and their support networks. It takes a holistic approach, incorporating not just medical and nursing care but psychological, social and spiritual components too. Its aim is to provide comfort and dignity to people and their loved ones...

In New Zealand hospice staff and their associated palliative care and volunteer teams are skilled at helping you manage your end of life care. Hospice often provide inpatient services for respite, symptom and pain management, or support if their care cannot be provided elsewhere. At the end of life, some...

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...

Rest homes and retirement villages are terms that are often used incorrectly and interchangeably which causes confusion. Not only do they serve different purposes they are governed by different legislation and regulations. To many people, the word rest home includes ANY facility where older people live and where they can...

LEAVING THE VILLAGE It is important when you ENTER a retirement village in New Zealand that you know what to expect when you LEAVE a village: Do you understand what the Deferred Management Fee (DMF) is and how this will influence the amount you receive once you sell your home?...

The following example shows how the Deferred Management Fee (DMF) is worked out in New Zealand and how it affects the final payout. Example – Mr C Mr C chose a unit in a village near to his old home. He did his homework which included: Using the village checklist...

In New Zealand, there is a cost to rent and monitor a medical alarm and the weekly charge to monitor a medical alarm varies between suppliers. Provided you are eligible for the special Disability Allowance the cost of renting a medical alarm may be fully funded. The medical alarm has...

All retirement villages in New Zealand have associated costs, such as weekly fees. These generally cover things such as council and water rates, building insurance, external maintenance (including gardening), upkeep of communal facilities, staff costs, gardening and management of the village. You are responsible for paying for your personal costs,...

With more than 400 Retirement Villages in New Zealand, there is plenty of choice when it comes to where to live. Villages vary greatly – in size, location, on-site offerings, ownership, philosophy and of course price – so it comes down to choosing the village that best suits your needs....

More than 45,000 people live in retirement villages throughout New Zealand and research suggest that most people enjoy a high level of satisfaction living in a village. Of course, it all comes down to choosing a village that is right for you. Make sure you visit a village more than...

Approximately 14% of the people aged 75 and older choose to live in a village – and that number is set to increase as our population continues to age. It is estimated that 26,000 retirement village units will need to be built by 2033 just to keep up with current...

There is no right or wrong way to spend your money as you get older – after all, you’re the one who earned it. For some, older age is an opportunity to cash in their chips and do everything they’ve ever wanted, using all the money they’ve saved in the...

Everyone’s circumstances are different and there is no one size fits all rule when it comes to financing a retirement. Some may want to spend every dollar they have while others will want to keep some left in the kitty for an inheritance or bequest. Of course, people will have...

Not only does volunteering have a positive impact on the economy, but also the community and the volunteers themselves. The most common reasons people give for doing voluntary work are: being helpful to others, “paying back” to society, and having a sense of obligation to the future generations. It is...

When you turn 75, your licence will be valid for only two to five years, and you will need to present a medical certificate each time you apply. If recommended by your doctor, you will also have to sit a 30-minute On-road Safety Test. As you will need to renew...

Message from Carolyn Cooper, Aged Care Commissioner : Kia ora, I’m Carolyn Cooper, the Aged Care Commissioner for Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a new role created to help monitor the delivery of great quality of care and quality of life for older people. We all have the right to...

There have been a number of significant health system changes in New Zealand Aotearoa since 2022 (e.g., the establishment of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and related agencies by the then Labour Government). The General Election of late 2023 saw a National, ACT and New Zealand Coalition Government...