Rest home information - what's your opinion?

This is your opportunity to tell the Ministry of Health about the information you need when choosing a resthome for yourself or a family member. 

The Ministry of Health is surveying users of the rest home audit summaries and other information it publishes. 

The easiest way to contribute your opinion is to complete the online survey:

>LINK to the survey and Audit Summaries 

OR email the Ministry with feedback at certification@moh.govt.nz

OR write to:

From the Ministry

Read the Ministry of Health's comments about Rest Home audits:

Improvements planned for rest home audit summaries

The Ministry of Health is continuing to improve the information it publishes about rest homes, and wants to hear your suggestions.

Since June last year the Ministry has published summaries of rest home audit reports on its website, but some users have found these complex and difficult to understand.

The Ministry is keen to enhance this web based information so it is as useful and easy to read as possible.

 The summaries provide information on how well residential care facilities are meeting regulatory standards.  

Manager of Provider Regulation, Rose Wall, says a number of refinements have been made since the summaries were first published.  However there is still room for improvement.

“We know our information can be a part of the decision making process when people are looking for a rest home for themselves or their family member.  Tell us what you think online at www.moh.govt.nz/audits  or email your thoughts to us at certification@moh.govt.nz “

Ms Wall says it’s not always easy for older people and their families to get the information they need about residential care facilities.

“Everyone wants to ensure the rest home they choose provides a good standard of care, and a happy, safe and comfortable environment, “she says.  

The audit summaries provide a snapshot of how well rest homes are meeting basic requirements, but by their nature, they don’t tell the whole story.

“It’s important that people do a lot of research on the options available for residential aged care before they make a final decision on the facility they like the best and consider most suitable for their loved ones,” she says. 

The audit summaries are being published progressively, as rest home certifications come up for renewal.  Summaries for more than half of the country’s approximately 700 rest homes are now available on Ministry’s website.

The summaries, provided by audit agencies as part of the audit process, contain a description of the rest home and its services, staffing and care.  

They also provide a “traffic light” table showing how well the facilities are meeting standards around consumer rights, safety, infection prevention and control, co-ordination of services and whether the environment meets the needs of residents.

Both the audit agency and the rest home providers must agree that the summaries are an accurate reflection of full audit report before they are published on the website.

“There may be a better way of presenting these summaries, so we welcome the public’s input and suggestions for improvements.”