Resources to help you stay living at home
Seniorline has created a network of resources to help you find the support you need to stay living at home. Seniorline helps you find the wider services you may need in older age, beyond just health — such as financial and transport assistance. The most helpful and appropriate services and information are here.
Financial support is available to help you stay living at home and to meet the costs of health care and other services.
Services for seniors — a summary
NZ Super (the pension)
All you need to know about New Zealand Superannuation (the pension) — Work and Incomeexternal link
Accommodation Supplement
Means tested help with rent, board or cost of owning a home — Work and incomeexternal link
Advance Payment of Benefit
Advance payments are means tested and the payment will need to be paid back at some time.
A one-off payment to help you pay for an essential or emergency cost — Work and Incomeexternal link
Disability Allowance
Cover for extra disability costs, for example lawn mowing or medical expenses. You do not need to be on a benefit to qualify for a Disability Allowance.
Weekly payment for regular, ongoing costs because of a disability — Work and Incomeexternal link
Special Disability Allowance
For the spouse or partner not in care to help with the extra costs of having their spouse or partner in care.
Special Disability Allowance — Work and Incomeexternal link
Community Services Card
Reduced costs for health care and public transport if you qualify for the card. You do not need to be on another benefit.
Community Services Card — Work and Incomeexternal link
Prescription Subsidy Scheme
Once your family has paid for 20 prescriptions in a year, the scheme allows any more prescriptions in that year to be free.
Prescriptions and the Prescription Subsidy Scheme
High Use Health Card
If you have seen your primary healthcare provider often this year, you may be eligible for free visits for the rest of the year.
High Use Health Card — Health NZexternal link
Rates rebate
Total Mobility Scheme
SuperGold Card
Savings for seniors on everyday essentials like electricity, insurance, food and healthcare. Free off peak public transport.
About the SuperGold Cardexternal link
Older people, people with chronic health conditions and people with mental health or addiction issues may be able to get funded support at home.
Home support services for older people and others
National Travel Assistance
The National Travel Assistance scheme supports eligible people who need to travel long distances or travel frequently for specialist treatment.
Hospital shuttles
Transport to clinics and medical appointments can sometimes be publicly funded through Health NZ.
Contact the hospital and healthcare provider in your region
Total Mobility Scheme
Driving assessments
Drivers over 75 must renew their licence every 2 to 5 years. You can call the NZ Transport Agency about this on freephone 0800 822 422external link.
Renewing for seniors — NZ Transport Agencyexternal link
Mobility parking permits
People with disabilities may be able to park in reserved spaces or for longer than the stated time in some other spaces.
Mobility parking — CCS Disability Actionexternal link
Hato Hone St John ambulance membership
Annual membership costs less than an ambulance call-out, and your household can be covered for an entire year — freephone 0800 785 646external link.
Ambulance membership — Hato Hone St Johnexternal link
Disability Allowance
Cover for extra disability costs, for example lawn mowing or medical expenses. You do not need to be on a benefit to qualify for a Disability Allowance.
Weekly payment for regular, ongoing costs because of a disability — Work and Incomeexternal link
Special Disability Allowance
For the spouse or partner not in care to help with the extra costs of having their spouse or partner in care.
Special Disability Allowance — Work and Incomeexternal link
Other transport options and information
More information on transport options, including companies offering wheelchair access taxis and modified vehicles.
Waka Transport — Firstportexternal link
SuperGold Card
Savings for seniors on everyday essentials like electricity, insurance, food and healthcare. Free off peak public transport.
About the SuperGold Cardexternal link
Equipment and safety support services can help you maintain your independence and live safely at home for as long as possible.
Equipment may be funded by Health New Zealand or be privately funded. You can also ask your healthcare provider for a referral for an occupational therapy or physiotherapy assessment.
You might be referred to these services if you are having difficulty with mobility or safely completing activities such as showering, making the bed, cleaning or doing the laundry.
Falls prevention
Elder abuse and neglect
How to identify elder abuse and neglect, and where to get support — Age Concernexternal link
Firstport
Advice on equipment to help make the activities of daily life safer — Firstportexternal link
Personal medical alarms
Alarms can be professionally monitored or linked to alert whānau members. There are many providers. Cost may be covered by the Disability allowance.
Disability Allowance — Work and Incomeexternal link
Tracking systems
Personal tracking systems are available for people with dementia who wander.
MedicAlert ID
Sensor systems
Sensor system devices can monitor your safety and be used to alert movement from a bed or chair, or prolonged absence or falls.
Protective clothing
Hip, ankle, knee and limb protectors can help prevent fractures from falls. Other clothing can reduce bruising and skin tears.
Equipment, home and vehicle modifications
Home modifications — Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled Peopleexternal link
Vehicle modifications — Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled Peopleexternal link
Lottery Individuals with Disabilities
Equipment breakages
If your equipment breaks or you no longer need it, you should return it to the supplier. Ministry of Health or ACC owned equipment can be repaired at no cost through Accessable or Enable.
Accessable — for people living in Auckland and Northland.
Enable — for people living in the rest of New Zealand.
- Freephone (NZ) 0800 17 1981external link
- Supporting disabled people and their whānau — Enable New Zealandexternal link
There is government support available if you need help with meals because you:
- have ongoing or age-related health problems
- are disabled
- were injured or disabled in an accident
- are recovering after hospital treatment and need help for a short while.
Cooking and meals — New Zealand Governmentexternal link
Meals on Wheels
New Zealand Red Cross provides a meal delivery service to people aged over 65 who are unable to cook for themselves. There is a cost for this service.
Meals on Wheels — New Zealand Red Crossexternal link
Home delivered frozen meals
Some companies provide home delivered chilled or frozen meals — ask your Needs Assessment Service Coordination agency or social worker for a list.
Online grocery shopping
If it is difficult for you to go shopping, online shopping may be an option. Several major supermarkets offer this. Groceries delivered to your door is an extra cost.
Other deliveries
Your home care agency may be able to provide local home delivery shopping services — it is worth checking.
Healthy homes
Depending on your situation, you may be eligible for support to make sure the home you live in is warm and dry.
If you rent, your landlord is required to meet certain standards for:
- heating
- insulation
- ventilation
- moisture and drainage
- draught stopping.
Healthy homes — Tenancy Servicesexternal link
If you live in your own home and meet certain eligibility criteria, you may be able to get some financial support towards home insulation with a Warmer Kiwi Homes grant.
Warmer Kiwi Homes grants — Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authorityexternal link
Funding and support for individuals — Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authorityexternal link
Social housing
Social housing may be available if you cannot afford a private rental. The costs are likely to be lower.
Houses are rented out by Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand) and other community housing providers.
Apply for public (social) housing — Work and Incomeexternal link
In some regions, community housing providers offer housing for older people. In other areas, local councils administer this housing.
Assisted living
Assisted living accommodation provides some services to help you live independently in the community.
- a shared housing situation with meals provided
- retirement villages sometimes provide rental accommodation with the option to purchase additional supports — not available in all areas.
Rental village accommodation — Eldernetexternal link
Gathering good information and making a plan will help you achieve the future you want. While taking into account your health, income and values, here are some things to consider and resources to help you.
Your personal finances
Sorted is an independent, government funded agency with a website dedicated to helping you get ahead financially.
Tools and guides to help you reach your financial goals and retirement plans — Sortedexternal link
Making a will
There are many good reasons to make a will. It records how you want your affairs managed after your death. If you die without a will, the law decides who will receive your assets after you die.
How to make a will in New Zealand — HowToLawexternal link
Advance care planning
Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of thinking about, talking about and planning for your future health care and end of life care. It helps you understand what the future might hold and to say what health care you would or would not want. This makes it much easier for whānau and health professionals to know what you want, especially if you can no longer speak for yourself.
Advance care planning — Health Quality and Safety Commissionexternal link
Enduring power of attorney
An enduring power of attorney (EPA) is a legal document. It sets out who can take care of your personal or financial matters if you cannot.That trusted person is called your attorney. You can set up an EPA through a lawyer or trustee corporation.
Enduring power of attorney (EPA) for personal care and welfare — New Zealand Governmentexternal link
Powers to make decisions for others — Ministry of Justiceexternal link
Pre-paid funeral trusts
A pre-paid funeral trust allows you to set money aside now to pay for your funeral expenses. The money is held in a trust and when you die the money is available immediately. If you have $10,000 dollars or less in a Work and Income recognised funeral trust, those funds are exempt from asset testing for the Residential Care Subsidy.
Gifting and residential care
The rules relating to gifting if you apply for the Residential Care Subsidy are quite different to those used by Inland Revenue. If you or your partner give away assets, they still may be counted as assets in your financial means assessment. Call the Ministry of Social Development Residential Subsidy Unit on 0800 999 727external link to discuss.
Residential Care Subsidy — Work and Incomeexternal link
Acting as guarantor
You may be asked to be a guarantor for a family member. It is also common for residential care facilities to ask for a guarantor to cover their fees. When you sign a form to be a guarantor you are doing much more than just witnessing a document or providing a character reference. You are agreeing to repay the mortgage, loan or hire purchase of the borrower if they cannot or will not do so.
Going guarantor — Age Concern New Zealandexternal link