Living at Home

MANY people with disabilities are helped to stay in their home by having a Home Support Worker coming into assist.  If people are experiencing difficulty coping with everyday tasks e.g. housecleaning, laundry, shopping etc) they may qualify for Domestic Assistance paid for by the Ministry of Health. A Needs Assessor will complete an assessment which in turn will indicate the amount of Assistance that can be allocated each week. Most Domestic Assistance hours are used for housework, laundry etc,but depending on needs, time can be allocated for shopping and in special cases meal preparation.

Generally the tasks will be established and set times arranged for the worker to arrive. Although some people can initially be apprehensive about someone coming into their home, in most cases the worker and the client establish a good working relationship.

Many people choose to pay privately for Domestic Assistance and you can also supplement their paid Domestic Assistance with private hours. There is considerable debate about using an agency or "the woman down the street". The advantages of using an agency are:

• Some professional oversight and monitoring of the work
• Ability to provide relief for holidays and sickness etc.
• Usually a degree of screening and training
• Most Home Support Agencies will charge between $30.00 - $45.00 per hour.

Private Domestic Assistance is usually a little cheaper but many workers avoid declaring their earnings for tax purposes and have no real accountability.

View local Agencies Providing Home Care

SOME of these agencies operate fully funded through contracts from District Health Boards (DHBs) and Ministry of Health, whilst others are totally private and again others are a mixture of both, and also provide home support on a user pays basis.

View local Agencies Providing Care at Home

PERSONAL CARE involves assistance with such tasks as showering, dressing, putting to bed etc.

Some people are entitled to paid personal care assistance but this is very dependant on their needs assessment.Without assistance in the home, many people receiving personal care would otherwise be facing residential care.

MANY agencies offer night sleepover care services.Again funding for this may be available through the Ministry of Health following a Needs Assessment where care needs are high and the normal caregiver needs to be relieved of the constant responsibility of providing care and oversight.  This service may also be purchased privately.

MEALS on wheels or precooked meals are also helpful. Many of these can be delivered to your door either as hot ready to eat meals or precooked, frozen ready to heat and eat meals. These provide sensible alternatives, especially for people who have difficulty cooking and living alone, ensuring a well balanced, nutritious meals.

Over the past few years there has been a real increase in the number of services which deliver meals to the door. There are also numerous precooked and frozen alternatives available. These
Meals on wheels are often available with subsidy through the Ministry of Health and a maximum of five meals (Mon - Fri) can be delivered each week. Various dietary needs are taken into account.

An assessment of a person's need has to be made first - often through your Doctor or by a District Nurse- they will refer for a certain number of meals each week. Meals are often delivered by volunteer drivers.

A number of rest homes and private businesses also provide ready prepared meals both as hot or/and precooked ready frozen meals.

View your local Meal Providers

MEDICAL ALARMS are highly recommended for anyone with frailty and medical conditions - especially for people who live by themselves. A large number of users have their alarm systems paid for by a Disability Allowance.

Most systems operate by having a button either as a pendant (worn around the neck) or a wristband (similar to a watch). When the button is pressed a device attached to the telephone is activated and the control room receives a signal. Operators will generally call you to determine if the system has been set off accidentally or not, and if they do not receive a reply they will often phone people on a list that you have previously supplied. Most people will list immediate relatives, neighbours or friends who would be able to respond quickly.

The use of Medical Alarms has increased dramatically in the last few years. The users have a much greater feeling of security, knowing they can summon immediate help, should they have a medical emergency, a fall, or ever suspect they have an intruder.

The alarms may be included under the Disability Allowance. Your Doctor will need to identify the need, and sign a form to explain that the alarm is essential, and that the need is ongoing. WINZ can supply both forms.There are a variety of systems on the market.Anyone can contact an alarm place of their choice and most of the alarm companies will assist you with all the application forms, Doctors forms required etc. 

Link here for Work and Income information on assistance.

View Local Personal/Medical Alarm Providers Here

Horowhenua has a voluntary friendship visitng service

Levin and District Befrienders Inc

SECURITY is often a big worry for  people with disabilities and their families especially those living alone.
In addition to the Medical/ Personal Alarm systems, there are a variety of other security services available in most areas and there are some excellent security systems available. Below is a list of suggestions:

• Get to know your neighbours.
• Arrange for good quality locks to be fitted.
• Securistays can be fitted to windows that open for ventilation.
• Double hung window sashes can be locked together by a bar which fits through both sashes.
• A stout dowel dropped into a ranch slider track prevents the door from being  jemmied open.

Security Systems

Security Systems usually consist of:

• Infra-red detectors which detect body heat and movement and/or magnetic contact switches on doors and windows.
• A keypad so the householder can arm or disarm the system.
• Usually internal and external sirens.

It is vital to ensure that the system is not repeatedly set off as a false alarm, otherwise neighbours etc. fail to respond.
Some systems can be connected via telephone line to a monitoring company, but these are considerably more expensive.

SECTION and GARDEN CARE can be a worry and impossible for some people with disabilities.

One of the most common problems is keeping the lawns, garden and hedges under control. Many qualify for Disability Allowance to pay for a gardener to maintain the section. Gardeners must be able to provide a receipt. This can also be extended to cleaning of outside windows. Again there are a variety of home maintenance contractors in any area.

There are numerous gardening/lawn services available in your area. Assistance may be available through Disability Allowance via WINZ for these services. More information here. 

View Property Home Maintenance services Horowhenua here