Recently we had enquiries regarding the premium charged by rest homes for bathrooms for those residents who rely on the Residential Care Subsidy. Delving into the conditions charges made by rest homes alongside the conditions relating to the Residential Care Subsidy can get quite complex.
Rest homes are mandated to provide rooms for subsidised residents but as might be expected the offerings vary between organisations. Most rest homes have the option of standard rooms and premium rooms.
Every rest home is different, but standard rooms are usually single rooms with space for a single bed and a few small items of personal furniture, such as an armchair and a television. A premium room is a room that has features that are not required under the Age-Related Residential Care Agreement (ARRC), such as an ensuite, more space, or garden access.
As fees for premium rooms are excluded from the Residential Care Subsidy and Residential Care Loan, it’s important to understand the difference.
However, there are usually very few of them so when someone needs a bed, often the Rest Homes can only offer a premium room which are the ones with a bathroom and can cost around $50 A DAY!
The best advice is to go back to whoever did the assessment of the need for residential care to get them to sort it out.
The Residential Care Subsidy will cover up to the cost of standard room fees, but residents will need to pay the additional premium room fees. For more information go to: https://www.villageguide.co.nz/resource-centre/care-home-resources/premium-rooms-everything-you-need-to-know