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Rita’s eyes are blinded by cloudy cataracts. Though her twin sister, Rachel, guides her to and from school, Rita is falling behind in her studies. She dreams of playing with the other children, but her blinding cataracts make it impossible.

7-year-old Rita lives in rural Uganda with her parents who work as subsistence farmers. Their daily struggle to provide food and make ends meet, mean there’s little left for medical expenses. But without sight-saving surgery Rita’s future is bleak.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Your regular monthly gift can help transform lives and make impossible dreams come true. Become a cbm child sponsor today.

Learn how your Child Sponsorship can help children in the world’s poorest places…

Feel at home with our quality nursing care.

The Nurse Maude Care Home is more than just a place to live. It's a place where residents enjoy a sense of purpose, meaning and dignity in a vibrant and caring community.

We cater for complex health needs with 24 hour nursing care which focuses on the whole person and their unique needs, contact us today to find out more.

We have a rest home bed available. For a viewing please call Lee on 027 508 3809 to make a time to see our 'gem' on High Street! The meals are delicious, the staff are friendly and the facility is homely and welcoming.

We have parking for easy access, there is a fantastic activities program for the residents to enjoy with van rides and live entertainers... so if your loved one is looking for somewhere to go, please do come in and see us!

Join the Coronation Lodge Family!

Looking for a warm, friendly place where care feels like home? We’ve got vacancies waiting just for you!

No hidden fees—just genuine care, good vibes, and plenty of smiles.

Come and see why life’s better with us! Contact us today to learn more.

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Footprint, founded in 2018, is New Zealand’s largest online Will provider. We come from a long line of industry experts and partner with one of New Zealand’s oldest (over 135 years) and credible trustee companies, Perpetual Guardian.

Celebrating birthdays is so important to many of our residents and their families. We make sure to capture these moments especially if families are not able to visit on special days.

What happens to estate assets if you die without a Will?

There are many misconceptions surrounding the process for winding up a deceased’s affairs. Many people believe that notifying the family of their wishes is sufficient and that those wishes will be carried out when they pass.

Unfortunately, this is not the case in New Zealand. If the deceased did not have a valid Will, the Estate will be distributed in accordance with the Administration Act 1969. Section 77 of the Administration Act 1969 specifies who is entitled to benefit from the estate.

Although the legislation is quite detailed, it doesn’t always cover the nuanced relationships families may have and can unintentionally exclude people the deceased may have wanted included in the distribution of their estate.

There are many decisions that need to be made on behalf of the estate and many requirements that need to be met before the assets can be dealt with.

1. Determining the value of your estate.

In New Zealand, estates with assets worth more than $15,000 in the deceased’s sole name or with property held in the deceased’s sole name, must apply for a grant of administration from the High Court before the estate can be dealt with. Where the deceased did not have a Will, the grant is called “Letters of Administration on Intestacy”. You must gather information about all of the deceased’s assets before you can complete the application.

1. Appointing an Administrator.

Someone will need to be appointed to act on behalf of the estate, to make the necessary decisions, sign all of the documentation and arrange for all matters to be wound up. This person would be called the Administrator of the estate. There is an order of priority for who can apply to be the Administrator.

The surviving spouse, de facto partner or civil union partner would have the highest priority to apply, then the children of the deceased, then the parents of the deceased, brothers or sisters of the deceased, grandparents and so on. If the person with the highest priority to apply is unable or unwilling to act, the person next in line can apply. Where a person with lesser priority is going to apply to be the Administrator of the estate, they will need written consent from all persons that would have equal or higher priority to apply.

1. Advertising for a Will.

The proposed administrator (and family in general) will need to conduct a search for a valid will. This may involve going through the deceased’s records and paperwork to see if a Will can be located. Sometimes a handwritten Will is located, and this would then kick off an entirely different process to prove the handwritten document qualifies as a valid Will. In addition to searching the deceased’s records, the administrator will need to advertise for a Will with law firms in New Zealand to see if a Will was executed in the past. The advertisement for a Will must be “live” for a certain period of time, with no Will being found before the Administrator can apply for the grant of administration. There is more information later in this article addressing what happens when a valid Will is found.

1. Status of Children Act.

Another requirement that must be met is conducting a search for all biological children of the deceased (specifically those born out of wedlock where paternity has been ascertained). The Administrator will need to attest to the fact that searches have been undertaken to discover any children previously unknown to the family.

As you can imagine, gathering the requirements listed above can be a time-consuming and expensive process. This can often delay the application for a grant of administration by two to three months after death. If the deceased had a valid Will, the application could be completed as soon as five to ten days after death.

Once all of the above requirements have been met, and the potential administrator has obtained consent from the necessary parties to apply, the grant for Letters of Administration on Intestacy can be applied for. When the grant is received, the estate can be administered.

In some cases, the search for a Will is successful. This can be extremely helpful if the deceased’s personal circumstances have not changed since the Will was executed. For example, the Will was executed after all the Will-maker’s children were born and the deceased spouse, de facto partner or civil union partner was the same person when the Will was drafted and when the Will-maker died. In cases such as this, the person appointed as executor in the Will can apply for a different grant of administration and does not need to complete the above requirements.

Alternatively, a Will could be located that was executed more than 20 years ago when the Will-maker did not have any children and was not in a relationship. If, at the time of the Will-maker’s passing, they were married, the Will would be revoked, and the search would continue.

How can Pier Law help?

Instructing a law firm and executing a Will can be an intimidating task. You may have questions like, who will I leave my assets to and who will I appoint to act for my estate?

Our team at Pier Law specialises in assisting you with this process, guiding you through the necessary questions to make sure your Will accurately reflects your wishes. While there is also a cost involved in creating a Will, this is far less than the extra cost involved in obtaining a grant of Letters of Administration on Intestacy.

If you already have a valid Will, but your personal circumstances have changed since it was executed, we urge you to review it and check whether it still represents your wishes for your estate.

Need to make a Will, update a Will or have questions relating to your estate? Get in touch with our team today.

Typing away looking outside and yuk - its definitely winter! However....

More of our fantastic rigid XL and XLT mobility scooters are in stock - something like 30x in total on hand right now. Then we have another container with electric wheelchairs and new model lightweight fold-up mobility scooters docking 21st July.

Once you get to my www.12U.co.nz website (changing to www.12umobility.co.nz June 2025) you will see I am expanding the ranging. In the 8 or 9 years 1.2.U Mobility has been operational I am 'honing' ranging using my experience to 'bring the bling'!

The June edition of South Care News is here!
This month, we shine a heartfelt spotlight on our incredible Nurses, honour the cherished Mothers who inspire us, spread ripples of kindness, and celebrate joyful moments and special occasions. All of it wrapped in our warm and wonderful Culture of Care that makes South Care Rest Home & Hospital truly special.

The June edition of Cambridge Life News is here!
This month, we shine a heartfelt spotlight on our incredible Nurses, honour the cherished Mothers who inspire us, spread ripples of kindness, and celebrate joyful moments and special occasions. All of it wrapped in our warm and wonderful Culture of Care that makes Cambridge Life truly special.

The June edition of Athenree Life News is here!
This month, we shine a heartfelt spotlight on our incredible Nurses, honour the cherished Mothers who inspire us, spread ripples of kindness, and celebrate joyful moments and special occasions. All of it wrapped in our warm and wonderful Culture of Care that makes Athenree Life truly special.

The June edition of Steele Park Home News is here!
This month, we shine a heartfelt spotlight on our incredible Nurses, honour the cherished Mothers who inspire us, spread ripples of kindness, and celebrate joyful moments and special occasions. All of it wrapped in our warm and wonderful Culture of Care that makes Athenree truly special.

St. John Caring Caller

About the service

Sometimes living alone or being house bound
means that we miss out on daily human contact,
someone to chat to, laugh with and share news
with. Everyone needs this sort of contact and the
St John Caring Caller service provides just that.
The Caring Caller service aims to provide the
opportunity of friendship and regular contact
over the telephone. On agreed days, a friendly
Caring Caller can telephone you to check that all
is well, and to have a chat.

People become clients for many different reasons.
Sometimes their spouse has recently passed
away, others have found that family members
have moved away and they do not get regular
contact with them anymore. Some clients stay
with the service long term, several years in
some cases, others may just need the service
temporarily while family and/or friends are away.

This service is FREE and is part of the commitment
that St John has made to support local
communities by contributing towards the health
and wellbeing of all New Zealanders.

The benefits

It can provide:
• a break from day to day activities
• a new found friend
• regular contact
• knowledge that someone out there is
checking that you are ok

Anonymity

There is a high level of anonymity in this service.
Caring Callers are only provided with your first
name, sometimes age, telephone number, and a
short personal profile of you.
When the Caring Caller telephones you, it is the
policy of the service that they do not disclose
their surname, address, or telephone number.
Contact
For more information phone 0800 780 780.

With a St John Medical Alarm help is never far away. St John Medical Alarms support independence and confidence, offer families peace of mind, and are the only medical alarms that connect directly to Hato Hone St John. Whether at home or out and about, they provide around the clock access to expert care.

Get in touch with a friendly Hato Hone St John representative to answer any questions you may have:
Phone: 0800 50 23 23
Email: telecare@stjohn.org.nz
Website: https://www.stjohn.org.nz/medical-alarms/

The June edition of Eltham Care News is here!
This month, we shine a heartfelt spotlight on our incredible Nurses, honour the cherished Mothers who inspire us, spread ripples of kindness, and celebrate joyful moments and special occasions. All of it wrapped in our warm and wonderful Culture of Care that makes Eltham Care Rest Home truly special.

The June edition of Athenree Life News is here!
This month, we shine a heartfelt spotlight on our incredible Nurses, honour the cherished Mothers who inspire us, spread ripples of kindness, and celebrate joyful moments and special occasions. All of it wrapped in our warm and wonderful Culture of Care that makes Athenree Life truly special.

The Value of a Funeral and Pre-planning

Throughout our lives we mark milestones. We celebrate birthdays, graduations, weddings and anniversaries. A funeral is a chance to mark a major milestone in the life of a family.

Everyone has a story to tell, and even those who appear, on the surface, to have lived an ‘ordinary 'life, have things that make them unique.

Ferdi Bosch, General Manager of Seddon Park Funeral Home says his team is very aware of the need to mark the milestone of death.

“Some people tell us they don’t want a funeral because they don’t want to put their family through the stress of having to organise things at a difficult time. But funerals are not just for the person who has passed away, they are very much for the living,” says Ferdi.

Funerals serve a greater purpose than simply saying goodbye. They are often the spark that brings family members together. They help to smooth conflict and reaffirm the importance of family connections in day-to-day life. Funerals provide healing and are a good start on the journey of grief. They provide an opportunity to express feelings without having to hide away.

Ferdi says funeral’s don’t have to be grand events. They can be very simple. He sees them as a chance for friends to show their support, and many families welcome hearing stories about things they might not have known about their loved ones.

“One of the best things about funerals now is that they can be done to suit the needs of the families who want to hold services in a garden, sport clubs or even in the back yard”

“Some people think that not having a funeral will shield them away from the pain of grief, but we find it actually makes it harder,” says Ferdi

“More people are choosing to write down their wishes, and this is very important. It means they can choose their own music, venue for the service, and even things like flowers they want”

He says this takes the pressure off a family at a very difficult time because they have fewer decisions to make, and they know they’re following the wishes of their loved one.

Without doubt funerals are emotionally difficult, but they can also be a wonderful time for sharing great memories. They can be a celebration of a good life, and a celebration of family ties.

“We encourage people to think carefully before saying they don’t want a funeral. Today’s funerals are not the sombre affairs of days gone by, and that’s a very good thing.”

Request our free pre plan funeral booklet “a time such as this”. This will give you the chance to put down your funeral wishes. email us at info@seddonpark.co.nz or call us on 07 846 1561

Hip protectors! Are they the superman of underwear, or just an annoyance? Our quick update on the latest evidence should be of interest to all aged care clinical managers and staff.

Hip protectors – yay or nay in 2025? - On The Go Physio

Jimmy's Story and Home Healthcare

Jimmy* is a regular at Te Kapu, Visionwest’s free community lunch. One day, Simon, our Chaplain, visited and found Jimmy wasn’t doing too well due to some mental health issues. Simon continued to call in regularly and, on one visit, found that Jimmy hadn’t eaten for five days. Simon took him to get some food.

Simon also realised that Jimmy’s rental agent was trying to get Jimmy evicted because the home was quite often rather messy – Jimmy just couldn’t keep up with the housework. Simon and his team headed over and gave Jimmy’s home a good clean to ensure he could continue with his rental.

Over time, Jimmy’s health worsened, however, and he eventually needed hospitalisation.

When Jimmy was discharged, Simon went to see him only to discover he wasn’t at all well. When Simon asked if he was taking his medication, Jimmy responded that he’d been sent home with no medication and had no way of getting to the pharmacy to fill the prescription he’d been given. Simon took him to the chemist and to a café for lunch (once again, he’d not been eating).

The awesome end to the story is that Jimmy’s health has now stabilised, partly due to the regular visits of Visionwest Home Healthcare support workers who helps with cleaning and meal preparation. He also has wellbeing checks three days a week from a social worker.

Jimmy’s story is one of a person whose ability to remain independent was just hanging by a thread until a crisis hit and everything threatened to come crashing down. But, with the right in-home healthcare support from Visionwest, Jimmy was able to get past that crisis and feel safe staying in his own home.

* We appreciate being able to tell Jimmy’s story but have changed his name for privacy reasons.

For more information about Visionwest Home Healthcare, phone 0800 222 040 or to go https://visionwest.org.nz/home-healthcare/.

Visionwest Home Healthcare and MobilityPlus.

To keep up with the level of care provided daily by Visionwest Home Healthcare, the organisation has integrated MobilityPlus into its service delivery structure. MobilityPlus is a tool used by Support Workers and Coordinators to communicate with each other and better coordinate service delivery to clients.

Every day, thousands of older adults and people living with a disability are supported by the 1300-strong (approx.) Visionwest Home Healthcare team. In their last financial year, the team delivered 1,289,897 hours of quality in-home healthcare. That’s over 3,500 hours every day throughout West Auckland, North Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua/Taupō.

With MobilityPlus, each Visionwest Support Worker has a mobile phone giving them the ability to organise their rosters, record start and finish times, communicate with Coordinators, receive schedule adjustments and other updates, access client info and request leave. Just months into its use, MobilityPlus is already making a huge difference to the efficiency of Visionwest’s quality healthcare service.

For more information about Visionwest Home Healthcare, phone 0800 222 040 or to go https://visionwest.org.nz/home-healthcare/.

Visionwest Home Healthcare and MobilityPlus.

To keep up with the level of care provided daily by Visionwest Home Healthcare, the organisation has integrated MobilityPlus into its service delivery structure. MobilityPlus is a tool used by Support Workers and Coordinators to communicate with each other and better coordinate service delivery to clients.

Every day, thousands of older adults and people living with a disability are supported by the 1300-strong (approx.) Visionwest Home Healthcare team. In their last financial year, the team delivered 1,289,897 hours of quality in-home healthcare. That’s over 3,500 hours every day throughout West Auckland, North Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua/Taupō.

With MobilityPlus, each Visionwest Support Worker has a mobile phone giving them the ability to organise their rosters, record start and finish times, communicate with Coordinators, receive schedule adjustments and other updates, access client info and request leave. Just months into its use, MobilityPlus is already making a huge difference to the efficiency of Visionwest’s quality healthcare service.

For more information about Visionwest Home Healthcare, phone 0800 222 040 or to go https://visionwest.org.nz/home-healthcare/.

Great Views of Rotorua in our Fully Refurbished 2 Bed Apartment

Come and see what Cantabria Lifecare & village has to offer. Golf Wing Apartment 2 has been fully refurbished and is located on private village grounds, has a light and spacious interior, a brand new kitchen, separate bathroom and two balconies - providing scenic views.

To arrange a private viewing call Vincent on 027 297 4057 today.

Residents at Annie Brydon Lifecare enjoyed a scenic cruise in classic cars, thanks to the generosity of Opunake’s Hyway 45 Classic Car Club. With the sun shining and the engines humming, the group set off in convoy to explore the local sights, reveling in the nostalgia and fresh air. The morning wrapped up with a shared morning tea, bringing residents and car enthusiasts together in a celebration of connection and community.

Ngā mihi o te tou hou Māori, Happy Matariki 2025. Last week's festivities included a delightful shared meal followed by an engaging Matariki-themed quiz, fostering camaraderie and enjoyment. Matariki marks the commencement of the Māori New Year, a period dedicated to reflection, celebration, and future planning.

We’re proud to introduce our newly opened Dementia care unit.

thoughtfully designed to complement our welcoming Rest Home. At the heart of our care is trust — built through respectful, professional support from our dedicated team, who are deeply committed to the wellbeing of every resident.

WHEN IS IT TIME?

As a spouse or primary caregiver, you are intimately familiar with your loved one's daily rhythms, habits, and capabilities. This close connection often means you're the first to notice subtle changes. Yet, the moment of acknowledging that your loved one might need more support than you can provide, or more than they're currently receiving, can be incredibly difficult. It's often accompanied by a swirl of emotions: worry, sadness, guilt, and even a sense of being overwhelmed.

This isn't a sign of failure on your part, but rather a courageous recognition of evolving needs. In New Zealand, informal caregivers like you form the backbone of our health system, with around 480,000 people providing regular unpaid care for someone with an illness or disability. Many spouses provide care for their partners, and research from organisations like Carers NZ shows that caregivers often experience reduced health-related quality of life, particularly in mental health and social functioning domains. Recognising when to seek additional help is crucial not just for your loved one, but for your own well-being too.

Key Signs Your Loved One May Need More Support

Observing a cluster of these signs, rather than just one, often indicates a growing need for additional assistance:

1. Decline in Personal Care and Hygiene:

• What you might see: Unkempt hair, body odour, wearing the same clothes repeatedly, difficulty bathing, dressing, or grooming themselves, neglected oral hygiene.
• Why it's a concern: It can indicate physical limitations, memory issues, depression, or a fear of falling during hygiene tasks.

2. Changes in Home Environment & Safety:

• What you might see: A noticeable decline in household cleanliness, spoiled food in the fridge, unpaid bills piling up, missed appointments, signs of mismanaged medications (e.g., incorrect doses, missed pills, bottles running out too soon or too late).
• Why it's a concern: These can point to cognitive decline, reduced mobility making household tasks difficult, or an inability to manage complex administrative duties. Safety hazards like cluttered pathways or burnt pots on the stove are immediate red flags.

3. Mobility and Fall Concerns:

• What you might see: Unexplained bruises, difficulty getting up from chairs, shuffling gait, frequent trips or near-falls, reluctance to move around the house or leave it.
• Why it's a concern: Reduced mobility significantly increases the risk of serious injury. Falls are a leading cause of injury and hospitalisation among older New Zealanders. Early intervention can prevent severe consequences.

4. Nutritional Changes:

• What you might see: Significant weight loss or gain, lack of fresh food in the fridge, reliance on processed or easily prepared foods, forgetting to eat meals, difficulty chewing or swallowing.
• Why it's a concern: Poor nutrition can lead to fatigue, weakened immune systems, and exacerbate existing health conditions.

5. Cognitive and Behavioural Shifts:

• What you might see: Increased forgetfulness (beyond normal aging), confusion, difficulty following conversations, getting lost in familiar places, changes in mood (increased irritability, withdrawal, depression), paranoia, or unusual behaviours.
• Why it's a concern: These signs often indicate progressing dementia or other neurological conditions, making independent living unsafe. A New Zealand study found that caregiver distress was three times more likely among those supporting someone with cognitive impairment or dementia.

6. Caregiver Strain (Your Own Experience):

• What you might feel: Chronic exhaustion, increased stress, anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping, withdrawing from your own social life, resentment, or feeling constantly overwhelmed.
• Why it's a concern: Your well-being directly impacts your ability to provide care. Ignoring these signs can lead to caregiver burnout, which in turn can lead to earlier admission to residential care for your loved one. Research using New Zealand's interRAI data found that distress was reported by nearly 40% of informal caregivers and was significantly associated with care recipients' earlier admission into aged residential care.

What It Means for You (and Them)

Acknowledging these signs is not about giving up, but about making a proactive, loving choice. It means recognising that:

• Their Safety is Paramount: Bringing in professional support ensures your loved one is safe, even when you cannot be there.
• Their Quality of Life Can Improve: Expert assistance with daily tasks can restore dignity, promote better hygiene, and ensure proper nutrition and medication management, leading to a higher quality of life in their own home.
• Your Relationship Can Be Reclaimed: By sharing the practical burden, you're freed up to be more of a spouse, child, or friend, focusing on connection and companionship rather than just the tasks of care.
• Your Own Health Matters: It's an act of self-preservation, ensuring you have the energy and mental well-being to continue being a supportive presence for years to come.

How Home Support North Steps In

At Home Support North, we understand that this is a deeply personal and often difficult decision. Our role is to be your partner, offering flexible, compassionate, and professional home support that adapts to your loved one's evolving needs.

Whether it's assistance with personal care, household tasks, medication prompts, or simply companionship, our team can provide the additional support that allows your loved one to remain safely and comfortably in their own home, while also lightening your load. We can help you navigate the Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) process and discuss how our services can provide the right level of care for your unique situation.

Recognising "when it's time" is a brave step. It's a commitment to ensuring the best possible quality of life for your loved one and to protecting your own capacity to care with love and resilience.

Due to an incredible response from Seniors in Auckland and Wellington, Seniors at Home is expanding to new areas - Tauranga and Kerikeri have been added in June.

More areas coming soon - contact us to see if we are available in your region. If we are not yet, we will be!

Seniors at Home Limited is established in providing exceptional service, and exists to ‘Maintain the Independence’ of Seniors in their own homes through up-front and fair costs, quality work, and attention to detail. It really is that simple.

We are the only company which focuses solely on the needs of Seniors in home maintenance, and we are so proud of that. We care deeply about Seniors being treated with respect, dignity, and transparency, living our values of trust, simplicity, and making it happen.

Each of our lead tradespeople are Ministry of Justice checked, first-aid and Dementia-Friendly trained, upskilled in communication and quality workmanship, and personally vetted by our Founders to ensure the highest standards of integrity and delivery.

We offer one-off repair, maintenance, and renovation jobs of all sizes, through to an annual subscription service that allows Seniors to pay monthly instalments that provide up to $636 of extra value over the year.

Unique to Seniors at Home, we provide a customised up-to 10-year maintenance plan, so Senior home owners have confidence their home is looked after and continues to meet their needs as they age. Our plans are designed to spread costs out over time and reduce the chances of unexpected bills - we know how important this is for our customers with pensions.

’Seniors at Home is the only company, the only phone number, the only people you’ll ever need to maintain your independence at home - leaving you to enjoy your life as you planned it!'