This is a service for those 65 and over living in the Central Auckland area. Needs assessment aims to help older people to remain living at home, safely and independently, for as long as possible. The service provides needs assessments for people with disabilities or long-term health problems which reduce their ability to stay independent and can arrange home care services if criteria are met. If it is not possible for a client to stay at home safely, the service can authorise entry into a rest home or private hospital. The service also provides general information to the public on support services. What to expect? A needs assessor will visit you and work through an assessment with you. The assessment identifies tasks that you find difficult and discovers what support others e.g. family/whānau, community support groups, etc., can provide. The assessor will then identify which needs will require support from formal services. Needs assessors also refer for specialist assessments, e.g. occupational therapy and physiotherapy to ensure that your abilities are maximised. Family/whānau/support people are welcome to attend the assessment. We can provide appropriate assessors if you are a Māori or Pacific Island client. Areas of assessment: - health problems - personal care - domestic management - mobility - communication - support networks - recreational, spiritual, social situation - caregiver support.

Once a needs assessment has been completed, the service co-ordination team develops a support plan to maximise independence at home. This includes purchasing, managing access to and monitoring usage of, support services. If it is not possible for the person to be maintained safely at home, the team may authorise entry into a residential care facility. What to expect? Based on the assessment, a package of support services will be developed for you. Support services available: a) Domestic Help - housework, laundry, shopping. Note a Community Services Card is required for domestic help. You will be required to produce the Community Services Card to access MOH-funded homecare. This card can be obtained from Work and Income New Zealand who apply a financial means test. Personal care assistance is exempt from this requirement for people who meet the health/disability criteria. b) Personal Cares - showers/bathing, dressing/undressing, getting up and putting to bed. c) Social Support - befriending visitors, craft and activity groups. d) Caregiver Support - relief care, daycare, dementia daycare, support groups. e) Provision of Information - regarding care in the community, information on disability support groups, e.g. Stroke/Arthritis Foundations, etc.

The service provides relief to caregivers in stressful situations and reduces the risk of older people entering permanent residential care. Respite Care is a formal scheme providing a higher level of relief care than that offered by Carer Support, i.e. you get more days. It is funded at a higher level also. Clients are very dependent older people living at home with family/whānau and may receive help from both the Respite Care and Carer Support schemes. The Respite Care programme is best described as an enhanced support service, offered to families who find that Carer Support (issued by NASC) does not provide sufficient breaks in any one year to enable them to continue to care. High-needs rest home and hospital-level clients being cared for at home place considerable strain on the caring relationship. The Respite Care programme offers more regular, planned breaks to the carers of these people. What to expect? The programme provides a break every 8 weeks for the carers of rest home level of care individuals and a break every 6 weeks for the carers of hospital level of care individuals. The programme is not means tested and is available to all who meet the criteria. Regular planned breaks sustain the carer for a little longer, before the individual may need to enter permanent residential care. Most of the referrals to the programme are made by the Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination service, who may already know the family and be providing other services. The programme does accept referrals from GPs and individuals. Once the family is accepted onto the Respite Care programme they can remain on the programme for as long as it continues to meet their needs. The programme is not the same as Carer Support which is often referred to as "respite". The service differs from Carer Support in that the Respite Care programme staff arrange entry to the facility and institute a system of monitoring which involves the client's GP, the family and the Respite programme staff, in ensuring the best outcomes for the client and carer.

Seniorline 0800 725 463 operates New Zealand-wide for older adults and their families/whānau. This free information service fields enquiries about how to get help at home, caregiver support and residential care. Information available includes; how to get help to stay at home, short-term relief care for caregivers, asset testing and costs for residential care, details on services that should be provided to people in long-term care, admission agreements and complaints. In addition, Seniorline provides more detailed information for Greater Auckland and Northland about rest homes and private hospitals, rental accommodations, retirement villages, home care, daycare and activity groups. What to expect? Moving into residential care involves important decisions and a lot of different emotions for all concerned. If you are thinking about residential care, you have already been through many changes in your life - deteriorating health, illness and loss of a caregiver are just some examples. You may still be learning to cope with these changes. The decisions to be faced can be overwhelming. None of us expect to look for a rest home for a family member or ourselves. You may try to carry on a little longer, however difficult things are. It is worth looking at what support services there are to help you manage at home. A needs assessor/service co-ordinator or social worker can assist with this. If you find you need more help than is available, then at least you know you have tried. Perhaps you have also tried living with family and it has not worked out. This is quite common and is no one’s fault. It can be a great relief for everyone when an alternative is found. Moving into residential care can be a positive decision for both the caregivers and the cared for - you can now enjoy a relationship free from the constraints and burdens of care. Carers can still choose to be involved in practical ways. Emotional support is always important. If you are thinking about residential care you should begin by having a Needs Assessment. Government agencies require an assessment before going into a rest home or private hospital. This has two parts to it. The first is an assessment by a specialist doctor to look at any health issues that could be affecting your ability to live independently. It is often a good chance to have a general review of your medications. At the clinic, your medical history will be reviewed and you will have a physical examination. Depending on your wishes, you may see other members of the team to look at what could be done to help keep you in your own home. The second part of the assessment is done by the needs assessment coordinators. They look at what options you have concerning home assistance and the financial implications of going into a rest home. This assessment usually takes place after the clinic appointment. The Needs Assessment ensures that: › You know of support services that would help you to remain in your own home, e.g. district nurses, home care, daycare › You have access to specialist medical advice and/or rehabilitation which may improve your health › You have help with making this critical decision. It is difficult to return home once you have left and moved into care › You know the assessment criteria for public funding of residential care. There can be financial risks if you are not aware A Needs Assessor will visit you at home to talk with you about the choices open to you and how much help you need. The Needs Assessment identifies the level of support you require and need is categorised as 'low', 'medium', 'high', or 'very high'. Long-term residential care is usually only considered for 'high' and 'very high' categories. For people with 'low' to 'medium' needs, the Assessor works with you to develop a support "package" to help you stay at home. This can include a mix of publicly funded services, services you buy in yourself, as well as help from family and friends. If it is not possible for you to stay safely at home, the Assessor may authorise entry to one of these residential care options: rest home, specialist dementia rest home, private long-stay hospital or specialist private long-stay hospital. To get an assessment you can either phone NASC yourself or your doctor can refer you. If you are in hospital, you can be seen in the ward. It is strongly recommended that you have a Needs Assessment before entering long-term care, even if you are not yet financially eligible for a Residential Care Subsidy. If your money runs out, you have to meet the needs assessment criteria before you can apply for a financial means assessment by Work and Income. The rest home/hospital must advise you in writing of these risks. Please click here to read more about Seniorline.