Housing and Care

Staying Put

Most older people choose to stay in their own homes. Here are strategies you can put in place now to help make this happen.

Home Support

A range of care and support services are available to help you participate in your community if you wish to remain in your own home as you get older.

Making your move

Changing circumstances as you grow older may mean that changing your living arrangements is a sensible option.

Retirement villages

There's some protection for older people through the Retirement Villages Code of Practice but you still need to receive independent legal advice before signing your contract.

Neighbours

You have the time and abilities to help your neighbours; in return they can provide support to you. However, disputes with neighbours do happen. This page has advice on relationships with neighbours.

The Householder Tool is a checklist that helps you go through your home, room-by-room, to identify things that need repair, maintenance or are unsafe. The Householder Tool suggests solutions to fix any problems and who to contact.

Building

Building or renovating? Understand your rights and obligations. Go to www.building.govt.nz for advice and guidelines on building regulation so you can make informed decisions about building work.

Residential Care

We answer some of the common questions older people and their families may have about residential care.

Lifetime Design

We give you some tips on things to consider when creating a home that you can enjoy as you grow older and/or your mobility becomes impaired.

Resilient communities

A recently completed two-year research project will help older people help themselves and their communities to manage and recover from severe floods, storms and earthquakes.
Community Resilience and Good Ageing: Doing Better in Bad Times draws on the experiences of older people, community organisations, emergency services and Councils to gather information and turn those findings into practical action.

The Resilient Communities team has developed five tools (checklists) for older people, communities and organisations to assess the risks and have a better recovery. These checklists are available now at
www.resilience.goodhomes.co.nz