Accommodation Rest homes & hospitals   Needs Assessment

If you are thinking about residential care, you should begin by having a Needs Assessment. This ensures that:

A Needs Assessor will visit you at home or in hospital and talk with you about:

The Needs Assessor identifies the level of support you require and looks at whether these needs can be safely met at home. The final package may 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 can authorise entry to residential care. The decision on level of residential care required considers both clinical and support needs.

To get an assessment you can phone a Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination Service (NASC), or your GP can refer. If you are in hospital, you can be seen in the ward.

NASC Auckland phone numbers:

NASC Northland phone numbers:

NASC for other areas of NZ:

Please click on the link below for National Needs Assessors;

NZ Directory of Needs Assessment and Service Coordination

It is strongly recommended you have a needs assessment before making decisions about care. To access Residential Care Subsidy you must have an assessment recommending long-term care . The rest home / hospital should advise you in writing of these risks. The terms of the Aged Care contract do not apply to residents who have not been needs assessed; this could mean that care fees are not capped at ‘maximum contribution’ rate.