HealthInfo Canterbury
Choosing a rest home
Te kōwhiri i tētahi whare pēperekōu
Choosing a rest home can be bewildering. Choose your new rest home according to your needs, health and wellbeing.
Completing a needs assessment
A needs assessment is used to decide on the level of care you need. Depending on your needs this could be a rest home, private hospital, dementia unit or specialist hospital care. Your service coordinator will talk through the options available to you. They'll explain eligibility criteria for funded assistance and help you with settling into the care facility you choose. If the need for care is urgent, this can be finalised quickly.
Eldernet has current information about all residential facility options.
Making the choice
Making a short list to narrow down the choice is often helpful. The following are common considerations:
- Location. You may wish to stay in the area you're familiar with and where whānau (family) and friends are so they can readily visit.
- The size of the care facility. This may be important to you. Some people enjoy being part of a large group while others prefer a smaller quieter place.
- Other levels of care on site. If your condition is likely to progress, you may want to think about going to a care facility where they can provide for your changing needs, such as hospital‑level care.
Once you've arrived at a short list, you can begin to look at rest homes. Have a look at several rest homes so you can compare them.
It's a good idea to make a list of questions you want to ask and all the things you want to look out for.
It can be helpful to take someone with you so you can compare notes afterwards. Some people prefer to write down their impressions after each visit to make this task easier. This checklist of questions may help you with this.
Some homes may allow you to spend the day there so you can get a feel for what it’s like. You may like to ask the manager about a trial period after which you can both decide how suitable the match is.
Vacancies
Whatever type of facility you're looking for, your choice will be limited by what's available at the time. If your preferred facility doesn't have a vacancy, you can ask to be put on a waiting list.
Admission agreement
As a new resident to the facility, you must be provided with an admission agreement, which you'll be asked to sign. The admission agreement should set out all terms and conditions and itemise costs, including any additional payments.
Take it away and read it carefully. If you don't understand something, ask for clarification. You may want to get legal advice. You may want to consider negotiating a reduced period of notice if you're planning to move to a different rest home in the future.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Eldernet
A website with information, services and support for older people.
From Care Publications – Where from Here, March 2012. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed March 2023.
SourcesReview key: HIRRV-48277
