Residential Care
The Eldernet site includes a nationwide database directory and comprehensive information about community groups and organisations, home help services, rest homes, retirement villages, residential care, private hospitals, dementia care, public hospitals and other third age services for seniors.
Seniorline is a national information service to help older people and their whanau navigate the health system. Seniorline provides information to assist older people to make decisions about staying at home, support for carers and residential care. If you can’t find the information you are looking for on this site, you can call Seniorline on 0800 725 463.
If you need long-term residential care in a hospital or rest home, you may be able to get a Residential Care Subsidy from the Ministry of Health.
This subsidy helps with the cost of care. It’s paid directly to the hospital or rest home by the Ministry of Health. Work and Income are responsible for income and asset testing people who apply for a Residential Care Subsidy.
If you have any questions, contact the Residential Subsidy Unit on
- Phone 0800 999 727
- Email msd_rcs@msd.govt.nz
- Fax 0800 999 199
Residential care includes the following types of long-term care provided in a rest home or hospital:
- rest home care
- continuing care (hospital)
- dementia care
- specialised hospital care (psychogeriatric care)
Short-term respite care and convalescent care may be provided in these facilities, but do not involve income and asset testing.
Long-term residential care does not include independent living in a retirement village.
More detailed information can be found in the Ministry of Health website.