Home and Community Health Association

09/03/2026

Sharing this important update for those relying on flexible funding budgets or support hosts.

Funding levels remain unchanged, and previous purchasing restrictions have been removed, creating greater flexibility for disabled people and their carers when choosing the support and options that work best for them. This will also enable carer respite to be covered.

A positive step forward in empowering choice and independence. 💙

Further information
https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/disabled-people/improvements-to-disability-support-services/flexible-funding-changes

08/03/2026

Lisa Foster, HCHA CEO, reflects on an article highlighting the importance of being enabled to age in place and caution on moving too early into residential care options.
......................................................................................................................

There's a story in RNZ today that I can't stop thinking about.

A woman sold her beloved home, her garden, her independence, her sense of self, and moved into a retirement village earlier than she wanted - she thought it would bring community and ease. Years later, she says it's one of her biggest regrets. Her equity has shrunk. Her autonomy has gone. And she feels trapped.

I know many enjoy and value the sense of community and many positive aspects of retirement village or rest home living; yet it does highlight caution and the need for deep reflection before making such a decision.

So many older New Zealanders are "asset rich and cash poor", sitting on the equity of a lifetime of hard work, but struggling with rising rates, insurance, and cost of living. The pressure to make a big move can feel enormous. And once that decision is made, it's very hard to undo.

For many people, staying in their own home with the right support around them is not just possible. It's profoundly better for their wellbeing. So how can we enable that? This question deserves further discussion - there are opportunities for inter- generational living options, improved support for carers, practical support through many organisations and home care via quality providers.

If we are lucky, we will all face the prospect of this stage in life, so an important consideration for us all!

Jo Murphy says she sold her home and moved into a retirement village 15 years too soon. "Maybe I was simply lonelier than I thought."

16/02/2026

Better quality care needs set standards.
The Nga Paerewa standards have at their core the Code of Rights and support a culture of improvement, innovation and awareness.

Please take time to add your voice to this review process!

Have your say on Ngā Paerewa The Ministry of Health is inviting feedback on the Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standard (NZS 8134:2021). As part of the regular review required under the Health and Disability Services Safety Act 2001, we are seeking your views on whether the Standard sh...

10/02/2026

Two days of informative and inspiring research and updates with Ageing and Caring Well Together Symposium (Co-Create-AGE) and InterRAI knowledge exchange.

So much is happening that has the potential to make a real and meaningful impact on health provision, if the right funding and implementation pathways are in place. Exciting, evidence-based progress with real-world potential.

03/02/2026

20/01/2026

Having health and community frameworks to support people to remain in their own homes is not just important to our older population ; it's central for a robust community.
The USA research details points on alignment of increases in 'ageing in place' and growth of 'HomeCare' supports. Reality reflects the deeper aspects of the heart and soul for so many of our seniors who live in connected communities and choose to remain in their own homes. The beauty and depth of value to all those around them. An 89 year old neighbour demonstrated this yesterday with her explanation of her busy volunteer work, her helping house sit for older friends - keeping their cars running and gardens watered and making dozens of delicious deserts for any local in need of sustenance!

Over time, older households have become more likely to age in place and more likely to receive long-term care at home.

06/01/2026

Happy New Year-wishing you many blessings for the year ahead!

With the right support, people can truly bloom, and that’s exactly what our members deliver every day through quality home and community services.

Thank you for being the unseen structures - steadfast and essential - holding so many through the storms that impact their health and wellbeing.

🌹A perfect rose doesn’t bloom by chance, especially in windy Wellington. 🌹

It reflects the quiet, unseen work beneath the surface: rich soil, strong structures that protect it, and attentive care that so often goes unnoticed. As we step into a new year, it’s a reminder that flourishing comes from the right care, given at the right time, in the right way, and within the right environment.

In healthcare, - particularly with care at home- this foundation is collective. It is shaped by family carers; by quality providers of a mobile workforce of community nurses, allied health professionals, and support workers who show up each day with skill and compassion; by assessment teams and NASC services who listen carefully and translate need into structure; and tools like interRAI (assessment tool) that help ensure care is consistent, responsive, and grounded in evidence.

It is also enabled through partnership with GPs, hospitals, and rest homes providing clinical oversight, acute support, respite and long-term care when needed, alongside charity and community organisations that offer vital connection and assistance. A true life-journey approach rooted in appropriate nurturing.

🌹Our hope for 2026 is that, working together, we continue to build a cohesive framework that enables people who choose to stay at home to bloom 🌹 - supported by strong, reliable structures when needed - and enables quality providers to deliver needed care that upholds dignity, independence, and wellbeing.

22/12/2025

We have just sent our members summary details and an overview on changes to the employment leave system and below is a USEFUL guide by MBIE:

18/12/2025

A message from our CEO Lisa Foster:🎄 A fantastic way to close out a busy and productive year; continuing to raise awareness of the value, innovation, and opportunity that a strong, high-quality Home Care sector offers. Alongside the wider health eco-system of our amazing carers, residential care and retirement villages, hospital and NGO partners there are real opportunities for meaningful improvement.

My sincere thanks to Hon Christopher Luxon and Hon Casey Costello MP for their openness to listen, engage, and explore balanced options that enable people to access the care they need to remain safely at home.

The newly announced Ministerial Advisory Group, chaired by David Cunliffe, will bring valuable expert advice. I would also like to warmly congratulate two of our Board members on their appointment to this group - this includes Murray Penman and Shelley Cunningham from our HCHA Board. Their representation and broad expertise will be an enormous asset for the concluding recommendations and report.

A sustainable home care sector - supported by a skilled, compassionate workforce and a range of flexible service options - is essential to a healthier future for us all. This is not just a sector issue; it is a shared challenge and a shared solution for a healthier Aotearoa economically and morally.

🎄Merry Christmas to you all, may you have a safe and blessed festive season🎄

11/12/2025

Great to meet Nicola Willis MP at the Business NZ Major Companies Group event with the New Zealand National Party Caucus at Parliament this week. Raising awareness of the massive value that Home and Community Care provide is so important as we face health and economic challenges in the near future.
This evening event followed a session that brought together a range of insightful speakers - from Labour Kieran McAnulty MP highlighting the importance of bipartisan approaches, to David Farrar’s dynamic polling insights, and Microsoft’s John Galligan sharing perspectives on the accelerating impact of AI.
Sessions like these remind us how valuable it is to stay connected, keep learning, and remain curious about what’s happening across sectors.
🎄 They also offer a powerful space for shaping practical outcomes that recognise the deeply interconnected nature of our health system, economy, business environment, and ultimately the wellbeing of our nation.🎄

11/12/2025

HCHA will keep all our members updated as things progress on this vital topic.
The recent Supreme Court ruling that two full time carers of adult disabled children are employees of the Government could have impactful consequences and Minister Louise Upston has asked MSD Disability Support Services to "carefully" consider yesterday's ruling. Now there is a wait to see what comes next.
Could this mean that all full time carers will become employees of DSS? Is that what family carers want? I’m not sure but here are Employment lawyer Joe Williams comments (ZB interview)

A Supreme Court decision has finally settled the long-running battle over whether family carers should be paid.