What support services are available in the community?
If you or a member of your family need extra support to maintain your health and independence, you may be able to access:
- Community allied health services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy or social work
- Community rehabilitation services
- District nursing
- Home-based support services, including home help and personal care assistance
- Residential care
- Respite care
Who are support services in the community available to?
Community-based health services are available to people of all ages in the Capital & Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) region with a health-related support need, including those needing post hospital discharge care in their own home.
Aged under 65?
- If you are aged under 65 years and have a lifelong disability, and require long-term disability support, you will be referred to Capital Support.
- Phone: 04 230 6400
- Freephone for Kapiti residents: 0800 353 375
- Fax: 04 237 2571
- If you need rehabilitation services as a result of long-term impairment, and are aged 16 to 55 years, you will be referred to Capital Coast Rehab.
How do I access support services?
Support services in Kapiti, Porirua and Wellington are facilitated by the Care Coordination Centre.
Your doctor, hospital staff, or other health professionals can refer you to the Care Coordination Centre. Alternatively, you or your family can contact the Care Coordination Centre directly (contact details are at the bottom of this page).
Are there any costs for these services?
There is no cost for contacting or sending a referral to the Care Coordination Centre. Most of the services you are likely to receive will also be free. If any of the services you are referred to do have associated costs, the Care Coordination Centre will discuss this with you.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria for support services, the Care Coordination Centre can give details of private providers who can be employed directly by you at your own cost.
What happens after I’m referred to the Care Coordination Centre?
The Care Coordination Centre staff will either phone you and ask you a few questions or write to you with a time for an appointment to come to your home and assess your needs.
The assessor may ask you for the name and contact details of a family member they can contact to discuss your assessment.
You are welcome to have a support person with you during your assessment. This will mean you need to have a face-to-face rather than phone assessment – your assessor will arrange a time for this.
Home and community support services provided by Access Community Health
If you require home and community support services, you’ll be referred to Access Community Health who will follow up with you and provide the services you need. You can read more about Access here.
From 1 April 2019, home and community support services will also be provided by Nurse Maude. Find out more about Nurse Maude
Follow up assessments and reassessments
Because your needs can change over time, follow-up reassessments are carried out regularly to make sure that you’re receiving the right support. This could mean increasing support if your condition worsens or reducing care if it is no longer needed. You can also ask for a further assessment, or for re-referral through your GP or health professional.
If you are assessed as being independent and do not reach the threshold to receive support, your information will be held in case your needs change in the future. If this happens you will be reassessed.
What should you do if you are unhappy with the amount of support you receive?
When you are assessed, you will be informed that you can ask for a review of the assessment findings if you wish.
You can ask for a further assessment by contacting the Care Coordination Centre directly, or for a re-referral through your GP or health professional.
Your rights and privacy
Read more about your rights as a patient and your privacy here.
Complaints process
If you have a complaint about the assessment process or the Care Coordination Centre, you can contact the Care Coordination Centre (details below).
If you have a complaint about your support from Access Community Health (CCDHB’s contracted home and community support service provider), contact Access first:
- Postal address: PO Box 38139, Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045
- Phone: (04) 473 4886
- Email: national@access.org.nz
If your complaint is not resolved, contact us at CCDHB. Find out how to make a complaint with CCDHB here.
Contact the Care Coordination Centre
The Care Coordination Centre is open:
8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
8am to 4pm weekends and holidays
- Physical address: 10 Wineera Drive, Porirua
- Postal address: PO Box 50-544, Porirua
- Phone (including after hours for urgent calls or referrals): 0800 282 200 or (04) 238 2020
- Fax: 0800 282 202 or (04) 238 2022
- Email: wellington@coordination.org.nz
Pharmacy
GP
Afterhours
Hospital ED