For when things change at home
Practical guidance for the moments as parents age, ahead of when it matters.
For when you’re starting to worry
You’ve noticed something has changed. What to look for, and what it might mean.
Signs to watch for
How to tell when a parent living alone needs more support. What to look for, and what should prompt a conversation.
Dementia
Early signs, getting a diagnosis, what comes next, NZ support pathways.
Driving
When driving needs to stop, having the conversation, NZTA medical assessment.
Mental health
Depression and anxiety in older people, what to look for, how to help.
Loneliness
A serious health risk. What helps. NZ-specific connection options.
Elder abuse
Recognising it, including financial abuse, and what to do. NZ reporting paths.
For when you’re making home safer
Keeping a parent well and independent in their own home.
Falls
1 in 3 over-65s injures themselves in a fall each year. Most falls happen at home, and most are preventable.
Home safety
Room-by-room checklist: lighting, rails, mats, bathroom, kitchen, stairs.
Hearing and vision
Often missed, often making everything else harder. NZ-funded options.
Health checks
What checks to ask the GP about. NZ-funded screening and assessments.
Monitoring options
Medical alarms, passive sensors, wearables: what works for whom in NZ.
For when you need more help
Bringing in support, funding, and the legal groundwork, before it’s urgent.
Government support
The Needs Assessment gateway: funded home help, personal care, equipment, Carer Support. No asset test for home-based support.
Respite care
When carers need a break. How to access respite in NZ.
Financial and legal
Wills, enduring powers of attorney and welfare guardianship, before they become urgent.
Veterans’ entitlements
If your parent served in the NZ Defence Force, Veterans’ Affairs runs a parallel set of supports families often miss.
Culturally-grounded support
Tikanga Māori, Pacific protocols, and other cultural perspectives on care at home.
For when home isn’t enough anymore
The harder transitions, and planning for what lies ahead.
Choosing a rest home
When the time comes. What to look for, NZ aged-care funding, the process.
Retirement villages
How NZ retirement villages work, occupation rights, what to ask before signing.
What aged care costs
NZ aged-care costs, residential care subsidy, asset testing, real numbers.
Advance care planning
Advance directives, NZ EOLCA, dying at home, hospice support.