Support for older people in Wairarapa
If you have health issues, there are services in Wairarapa to support you.
Wairarapa Hospital support services
Wairarapa Hospital has a range of support services available.
- Wairarapa Hospital — phone (06) 946 9800external link or freephone 0800 946 9800external link.
For information, assessment and access to funded support, contact FOCUS to discuss your needs.
FOCUS: Support services in Wairarapa
Agencies and services in the community and at home
Age Concern Accredited Visiting Service (AVS) is a befriending service that provides regular visits to older people who would like more company. Visitors are volunteers who are keen to spend time with an older person for about an hour each week to enjoy conversation and shared interests and activities. No referral is needed.
Age Concern Wairarapaexternal link
Age Concern Elder Abuse Response Service (EARS) is free and confidential. The service employs professional staff to work with older people and their carers to provide support and advocacy so older people can be happy, healthy and safe. No referral is needed.
Age Concern Wairarapaexternal link
Community Services (Homelinks) provides home help and personal care services to maintain independence. Provides short-term carers for people recovering from illness.
Access Community Health provides home and community support services to enable independent living. Contact:
- Office 1, Totara Business Village, 407 Queen St, Masterton 5810.
- Freephone 0800 284 663external link.
- Access Community Healthexternal link.
Masterton Community Health provides home services to maintain independence. Find short-term home help and personal carers to help recover from illness.
Home help and personal care and assistance. No referral required.
- Phone (06) 377 0221external link extension 5 or freephone 0800 555 058external link
- Email trust@masonicvillages.co.nzexternal link
- Masonic Villages Trust — facilitiesexternal link.
A free service for people who live alone or feel a bit lonely. Volunteers phone clients regularly to check that everything is fine. This free service is fully funded by donations.
- Freephone 0800 4 CALLER (0800 422 5537external link)
- Email CaringCaller@stjohn.org.nzexternal link
- Hato Hone St John — Caring Callerexternal link
Contact Wairarapa Care Network for day care, personal care and nursing care services for Masterton and surrounding districts.
Phone 06 378 8809external link
Meals on Wheels is a support service that prepares and delivers a subsidised hot midday meal.
You usually need to be referred to the service by a healthcare provider.
The Citizens Advice Bureau has contact details for Meals on Wheels services in each region.
Meals on Wheels community directory — Citizens Advice Bureauexternal link
Short and long term residential care in Wairarapa
All residential care facilities in Wairarapa offer short term and respite care to give older people and their carers a short break.
If your needs cannot be supported at home and you are considering residential care, you will require a needs assessment.
The assessment will determine your eligibility for funded aged residential care.
For an assessment in the Wairarapa region, contact FOCUS.
- Phone (06) 946 9813external link or freephone 0800 900 001external link.
- FOCUS Needs Assessment Service coordination agency.
Different types of rest home and care facilities and differing levels of care are available in the Wairarapa region. You may need short or long term support.
The Residential Care Subsidy can help with the cost of care. Find out more at Work and Income.
Residential Care Subsidy — Work and Incomeexternal link
Information about all Wairarapa residential care facilities and their latest audit reports can be found at the Ministry of Health:
Rest homes — Ministry of Healthexternal link
Choose your residential care — New Zealand Governmentexternal link
Eldernet also provides an extensive and trusted directory of services related to older people, including a database of community groups, organisations, home services, rest homes and retirement villages.
A range of other residential options for buying or renting are also offered by Wairarapa residential providers.
Information and advocacy groups in Wairarapa
Age Concern Wairarapa provides advocacy, social connection, events, education and information for older people.
Digital Seniors is a non-profit organisation that launched from the Wairarapa in 2018. We provide free tech support to seniors aged 65+, for their wellbeing and digital empowerment.
Hospice is a wrap-around service of care that supports people who have a life limiting illness, as well as their whānau and carers. We offer this service in Wairarapa for free.
Hospice Wairarapaexternal link