Supported Independent Living

Supported independent Living provides support to older people struggling with isolation and confusion so they can maintain their spark for life and stay living safely and well at home. 

Te Waka Haumaru, our older persons team, works alongside kaumātua living alone with little to no whānau support, providing the support they need to continue their daily activities with enjoyment and confidence. This can include anything from linking kaumātua to social activities to helping them prepare for their future by making sure they have the necessary legal and financial supports.

Who can get support?

To qualify for the Supported Independent Living programme the person must be:

• over the age of 65 (or 55 for those who are Māori or Pasifika)
• living alone with little or no family support
• assessed by Care Coordination, a Needs Assessment Service Coordination agency for older people.

The support we offer

• Strength-based social work support: We keep older people at the centre of decision-making by finding out what they want for their life and honouring their wishes.
• Advocacy: We help older people to navigate complex systems such as money management, legal support (such as Enduring Power of Attorney) and linking the older person to new social opportunities.
• Family matters: We help older people to stay in touch with – or reconnect with – key family members.
• Accommodation: We work with Housing NZ, the Wellington City Council and private landlords to sort out any housing issues older people may be having.
• Health: We keep track of ongoing health issues and deal with any new health issues.  We also assist older people with GP or hospital visits.
• Practical solutions: We help older people find solutions to everyday problems, such as shopping, paying bills, house maintenance and transport.

Getting an assessment

An older person can refer themselves for an assessment with Care Coordination or they can be referred by their GP or another health professional, or by a family member or friend.

Care Coordination will carry out a needs assessment and may obtain additional health information from the older person’s GP or from Te Whatu Ora. If they decide the older person needs assistance from the Supported Independent Living programme they will refer them to Te Waka Haumaru, our older persons team.

We’ll allocate a team member to work with the older person to create a plan so they can achieve sustainable independent living.