Community support and resources

There are many government and community organisations in the Waitematā health district to assist you in your carer role. Below you'll find a list of helpful websites and contacts so you can start to put together your network of community care.

Your Hospice Care team can help you find the best organisation to support you and your loved one. 

Create your support team

Hospice New Zealand's Guide for Carers includes a chapter on building support for you and the person you are caring for. It provides useful tips about how to seek support from friends, family, whānau and the community. Click here to read this useful resource.

NASC: Needs Assessment and Service Coordination

The Ministry of Health funds organisations to work with people in palliative care, and their family, whānau, when their physical abilities decline. The Needs Assessment team can help you by:

  • Identifying the strengths and support needs of the person you are caring for
  • Telling you what disability support services are available
  • Determining eligibility for Ministry-funded support services.

District Nurses (DNs)

Hospice nurses, GPs and hospital staff can provide a referral to District Nurses. They can help your loved one by assessing wounds and helping with dressings, creating care plans, and sourcing supplies such as continence products and equipment such as hospital beds. Your Hospice care team will work with the DN service to make sure your loved one can access the best care available and maintain as much independence as possible, for as long as possible.

Advance care planning

Advance care planning is the process of thinking about, talking about and planning for future health care and end-of-life care. It involves identifying what matters to you and recording your wishes so your carers will know what you want, when you can no longer tell them. The Health Quality and Safety Commission website has some tools to guide you and your loved one when you’re ready to start talking about, and planning, their future care.

Te Hokinga ā Wairua End of Life Service

Experiencing a loss can leave you in shock and unsure about what you need to do. You can find information here to help guide you and your family/whānau at this time. The ‘Find out’ section has overviews in Te reo Māori, English, Tongan, Samoan and Simplified Chinese.

Useful Community Organisations

Age Concern Rodney and Age Concern North Shore offer a visiting service, a list of trusted and police-checked skilled and semi-skilled tradespeople, useful resources and a calendar of activities.

Carers New Zealand offers a range of resources for carers and a free helpline - 0800 777 797.

With so many Aged Residential Care facilities to choose from, it can be a challenge to find the right one for your loved one. Each facility may differ in its philosophy, services, cost, look and feel – there’s a lot to consider. Te Arai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group has created a list of 10 key elements to help you find the best fit for your loved one. This resource provides both a video and a brochure to print. 

Eldernet is a reliable source of information about support at home, retirement villages and Aged Residential Care (rest homes, nursing homes, aged care hospitals, dementia units and dementia hospital services). 

Health Point has information about services provided by the Waitematā District Health Board (WDHB).

Hearts and Minds is a community development organisation (formerly Raeburn House) which provides a Support Services Directory covering North Shore, Rodney and Waitakere.  

Mycare links people at home with those who are looking for care employment. Sign up to employ carers or support workers who match with your needs. There are people on this site looking for both volunteer and paid work.    

Senior Line has information and resources on topics such as finances, carer assistance, transport, equipment and home care.   

Support Crew is an online platform that can help you manage your support team to complete the tasks you need them to do. 

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