Health and Disability Support Services

Any person who has a physical, intellectual, sensory or neurological disability, or a combination of these resulting in a loss of function requiring ongoing support for longer than six months, is entitled to access Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) services. Needs Assessment is a service to identify peoples’ needs, including special equipment and necessary house alterations, and Service Coordination looks at the relevant services available and arranges appropriate support.

Services that may be assessed include home help, such as cleaning, washing and meal preparation. Another service known as ‘personal’ care (which includes assistance with showering, dressing and may include supervising the taking of medications) is not income tested. Carer support is also available. This gives the full-time unpaid carer of a person with a disability a break. To be eligible, the carer must be providing at least four hours or more of care a day. This is not income tested and is allocated in days available per year, based on need. To allow people to live in their homes, ‘supported living’ is an option. The support may be with meal preparation, shopping, budgeting management, attending appointments etc. For those people who can no longer be supported at home, ‘residential care’ may be an alternative. Prospects for this would be discussed with the individual and their family/whanau.

Anyone needing any of these services can make a referral to the assessment agency, either for themselves or on behalf of someone else. Most referrals go through either a GP or a hospital social worker.

AFNZ is proudly supported by: