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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I choose a care home for my elderly relative?
2. How can I find out if the home I choose meets Ministry of Health standards?
3. What is enduring power of attorney?
4. What is assisted living?
5.What is a rest home?
6. What does the term 'hospital level care' mean?
7. What is dementia care?
8. What does' independent living' mean exactly?
9. What is respite care?
10. What is palliative care?
11. Are residents entitled to funding or benefits?
12. When can I visit my mother at her retirement home?
13. Can I bring my children to visit their grandad?
14. Are all of your staff members qualified?
15. What can I do if I am not happy with the standard of care on offer?
16. My aunt has a pet. Can it live with her at one of your homes?
1. How do I choose a care home for my elderly relative?
Your local DHB will provide you with a list of homes in your area. Shop around, go on visits to see the facilities on offer. Be prepared to ask questions about the level of care, the food which they serve, laundry services and resident activities. Every care home is different; it pays to find one that will suit the needs of you and your loved one. Back to top
2. How can I find out if the home I choose meets Ministry of Health standards?
Every certified care home is audited by the Ministry of Health and full audits are undertaken on a regular basis. The reports are available online and can be downloaded. They give an overview of the rest home’s performance with coloured indicators showing how well the home performed against the different aspects of the Health and Disability Services Standards. View the reports online or visit the individual facility pages and click to view the PDF. Back to top
3. What is enduring power of attorney?
There are two types of enduring power of attorney (EPOA). One is where you appoint a person(s) to look after your property affairs should you become incapacitated or unable to make decisions for yourself. The other type is where you appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf about your welfare, again if you become incapacitated. You can only choose one person for this. Click here for more information
If an EPOA is invoked, any decisions need to go through the Family Court.
Read about what assisted living means. Back to top
Read about what rest home level care means. Back to top
6. What does the term 'hospital level care' mean?
Read about what hospital level care means. Back to top
Read about what dementia care means. Back to top
8. What does 'independent living' mean exactly?
Read about what independent living means. Back to top
Read about what respite care means. Back to top
Read about what palliative care means. Back to top
11. Are residents entitled to funding or benefits?
Your local doctor will arrange for patients to be assessed for the level of care they require. At this stage, you will be given the necessary paperwork to complete and your local WINZ office will determine if you are entitled to benefits and/or subsidies. Read the Government web page for more information. Back to top
12. When can I visit my mother at her retirement home?
All of our homes have an open door policy and you and your family are welcome to visit at any time. Back to top
We positively encourage any family or friends to visit . All of our residents enjoy the presence of young or old visitors and we often have school groups dropping in to spend time with us, which our residents greatly enjoy. Back to top
14. Are all of your staff members qualified?
All staff have been put through our extensive Ultimate Care Group induction programme. We have Registered Nurses and our Caregivers are either fully qualified or are working towards their NZQA qualification in care for the elderly. We also provide ongoing training, mentoring and education programmes to make sure all members of staff are up-to-date with the latest in care practices. Back to top
15. What can I do if I am not happy with the standard of care on offer?
We have a complaints process which is explained to residents and their families detailing who you can talk to in the unlikely event of a complaint and the steps which will be taken to ensure your complaint is dealt with in a timely manner. Back to top
16. Pets in facilities. Can pets live at one of your homes?
We assess these enquiries on a case by case basis and do our best to accommodate our residents’ requests. Please discuss your individual needs with your Facility Manager. Back to top