 Some Helpful Information...
Moving into residential care involves making important decisions and finding your way around the system can be confusing. The following information and website links have been provided to help you.
CHT Services Guide
To read the CHT Services Guide click on:
publications.php
Residential care line
The Residential Care Line is funded through District Health Boards and the Ministry of Health to provide information for people making decisions about residential care. To visit the Residential Care Line website click on:
http://www.adhb.govt.nz/rcline/
Residential care subsidies and residential care loans.
The Ministry of Health, District Health Boards and Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) all have a role in administering residential care subsidies. The residential care subsidy provides financial assistance for people who have been assessed as needing long-term residential care in a rest home, hospital or dementia care unit.
WINZ is responsible for deciding whether you qualify for a subsidy by assessing your income and assets.
The Ministry of Health sets the maximum contribution that residents are required to pay for residential care. For more information on residential care subsidies click on:
http://www.moh.govt.nz/olderpeople
Residential care loans.
A residential care loan is an agreement between the Crown and a person in long-term residential care. Under the agreement, the Crown advances funds to a rest home or hospital, on the client’s behalf, for long-term residential care services received by the client. The loan is interest free. The loan is secured by a caveat over the client’s home. The loan must be repaid within six months after the client dies or when the former home is sold or otherwise disposed of, whichever date is earlier or when any other circumstances set out in the loan agreement occur.
Residential care loans are available through the Residential Care Loan Scheme administered by Work and Income.
For further information click on the link to Work and Income New Zealand and search for Residential Care Loan. http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/
Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination agency (NASC)
The NASC operates the needs assessment and service co-ordination process on behalf of District Health Boards. Every person who wishes to receive residential care funded by a district health board must be needs assessed by the NASC. The information from the assessment is then used to determine the level of need the person has - very low, low, medium, high or very high. The criteria for residential care entry is that the person has been assessed as having high or very high needs which are indefinite and cannot be safely met with a package of care in the community. For further information follow the links above to the Ministry of Health or Residential care line websites.
Certification
The Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 aims to improve accountability by using approved independent auditing to ensure compliance with the health and disability standards. Service providers can choose from a list of designated audit agencies provided by the Ministry of Health. Designated audit agencies are charged with auditing services against the appropriate standards.
Providers have to demonstrate to the auditors that the services they provide are: safe, resident focused, continually improving, compliant with the standards and meet any special conditions required by the Ministry of Health. The auditors report their findings to the Ministry of Health. If providers meet the required standards, the Director-General of Health will then issue a Certificate for relevant services to the provider. That provider is then "certified".
CHT uses Quality Health as it designated audit agency. You can access the Quality Health website by clicking on the link:
http://www.qualityhealth.org.nz/
District Health Boards (DHBs)
District Health Boards are responsible for funding residential care services for older people under the Social Security Act 1964. Only rest homes or hospitals that have achieved Certification under the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 and comply with the Health and Disability Sector Standards can have a contract with DHBs.
CHT has contracts with the three District Health Boards in the Auckland region. For more information follow the links to the DHB websites:
Auckland District Health Board
Counties Manukau District Health Board
Waitemata District Health Board
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