Positive Ageing - Be clear about the admission agreement before entering residential care

It is vital that when someone is moving into residential care all the details of the admission agreement are fully understood.

It’s a good idea to have a relative, trusted friend or lawyer look at the agreement before it is signed.

The admission agreement is a contract; it sets out the services to be received. It should also specify any extra services that are requested and will be paid for.

A rest home or private hospital cannot force any resident to pay additional costs for extra services over and above the care that it must provide to meet its obligations as a DHB-contracted care provider.

That means a resident cannot be charged extra for such things as GP visits, laundry, food or nursing care.

An admission agreement may set out charges for ‘extras’ like visits by specialists, health professionals like podiatrists or dieticians, transport, personal toiletries or recreational activities that are not part of the normal programme offered by the home.

Some homes include an extra charge for what they may describe as a “superior room”.

Note that if a standard room is not available, a rest home is not entitled to charge extra for allocating a larger, or superior, room.

The room itself must be appropriate for the care needs of the resident.

This means if the resident requires certain equipment for their care or mobility, the room they are allocated must be large enough to accommodate that, at no extra charge regardless of the size of the room.

For those assessed as needing residential care, NMDHB Support Works will supply a Ministry of Health booklet entitled Long-term Residential Care for Older People; What You Need To Know. The booklet is also on the Ministry website www.moh.govt.nz .