The Eldernet Group is New Zealand’s most trusted provider of information for older people and those closest to them.
12/01/2026
Have you heard of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower? 🌻
It's a lanyard you can wear to voluntarily share you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent, such as hearing or vision impairments, autism, dementia, or anxiety.
The sunflower lanyard lets people know that you may need a helping hand, understanding, or extra time at work, on transport, or other public spaces 💛 Companies like Air New Zealand are starting to adopt the scheme 🙌
🏠 Some journeys are about how you can stay living independently at home.
🏘 Some are about moving into a retirement village.
💙 Some are about finding care or support for yourself or someone you love.
Whatever your journey looks like, Eldernet helps you explore your options and make sense of what's available: www.eldernet.co.nz
07/01/2026
This January at Eldernet, we're thinking a bit about the journey in front of us 🛫
Before planning the year ahead, it can be helpful to reflect on the year just gone 🧐
Did your needs change last year? Were you hit with anything unexpected? Did you find yourself needing more information, support or care than before?
We are here to support you at whatever stage you're at. Whether you're just beginning to gather information, or are actively looking for services, our website is full of impartial information to help you make an informed decision.
Yesterday was World Braille Day, recognising the importance of accessible information for people who are blind or vision-impaired.
As you plan your year ahead, it's a good reminder that everyone's journey - and needs - look different. What helps you feel supported and informed? 📚💭
23/12/2025
We're sad we can't share all of the wonderful entries from our Christmas competition, but here are a few fun bonus entries from our care home category ✨
🌈 A joyful sunshine and rainbow tree featuring all the residents at CHT Care Homes Parkhaven.
🧶 The residents at Hetherington House were busy since August, creating the decorations for their 'Knitmas' theme.
🐑 The nativity play at Beetham Health Care that featured real live animals.
22/12/2025
Many of the retirement villages around Aotearoa decked the halls 🔔 Here are a few more shout outs from the retirement village category of our Christmas Competition.
🎅 Retirement Villages by the Lake participated in Taupō's Santa Parade.
🫙 Presbyterian Support South Canterbury Strathallan Life Care Village had two staff members who spent the entire weekend preparing, cooking, and bottling beetroot and caramelised onion relish as a Christmas present for 120 residents.
21/12/2025
🎄✨ And the winners are… ✨🎄
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Our annual Eldernet Christmas Competition winners have been decided 🏆
We were absolutely blown away by the creativity, effort and heart that went into this year’s entries. Honestly… this may have been the toughest year yet to choose our winners!
🥇 Best Care Home: Bupa NZ Hugh Green 🥇
Winning by just two votes! Their Eco Elf Sustainable Tree was lovingly handmade by staff and residents using recycled materials showcasing their commitment to environmentally conscious living 🌱🎄
🥇 Best Retirement Village: Arvida Living Well Communities Glenbrae 🥇
Taking the gold with their incredible Gingerbread House float for the Rotorua Santa Parade! This show-stopping creation was crafted by residents and staff alongside Rotokawa School, who share a special connection with Glenbrae 🍬🏠
🌟 Eldernet Resident of the Year 2025: Clarice from Woburn Masonic Care, Waipukurau 🌟
Clarice is legally blind, and consistently helps others in the blind community, making recordings on her iPad and sending them all the way to the UK; extra impressive since she just turned 103! She's also a knitter, and recently went on a trip to the Hawkes Bay hospital to deliver little woollen jerseys and knitted soft toys to the children and NICU unit.
When asked the secret to her longevity she said "there is more joy in giving and living to serve others and that is what gets me out of bed every day".
✨✨✨
To everyone who entered, we want to extend a huge thank you thank you. Your imagination, hard work and festive spirit made this competition truly unforgettable 🎅 Stay tuned for a shout out for some bonus entries that we'd love to share with you.
From all of us at Eldernet, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a beautiful New Year 💙🎉
16/12/2025
🎄✨ We're struggling to fit all the presents under the tree at Eldernet ✨🎄
Our annual Christmas competition is underway: Every year, care homes and retirement villages from all around Aotearoa get into the festive spirit, showing off their amazing Christmas decorations and celebrating the wonderful people nominated for our Resident of the Year award ❤️
With the competition closing today, we wanted to take a moment to say a huge thank you to the generous sponsors who make it all possible. 🙌
Take a look below and at the photos to meet them and show them some love!
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Friendlypak
Permobil New Zealand - Let our experts help you find the right Permobil solution - from manual wheelchairs to custom seating. We offer flexible rental and purchase options.
0800 115 222 | sales.nz@permobil.com | www.permobil.com/en-nz
Skills Institute - Skills Institute has spent over 30 years developing New Zealand's healthcare workforce. Our work-based training means your staff earn NZQA qualifications without leaving your facility. Levels 2 and 3 are great for retention while Level 4 will enhance leadership capabilities within your team. Visit www.skillsinstitute.co.nz/ for more information.
Imago Wellness Coaching
Senate Nursing Bureau
Matthews Packaging & Hygiene
Amtech Medical
Pacific Hygiene Ltd
Unichem Walls and Roche Pharmacy
Gloup New Zealand - Gloup has become the go-to solution in aged care facilities for medication administration instead of food. Gloup is purpose designed lubricant gel that makes tablets easier to swallow.
Spyder Tech
12/12/2025
Congratulations to the team at the Citizens Advice Bureau for putting this report together 👏 It's certainly a sobering read, but a vital one if we want to create a system that can best help people of all ages.
Parts of the report touch upon the difficulties faced by the older members of our community. Over the past week, there has been a lot of talk about the Retirement Villages Act Review and ensuring ex-residents can get their money back in a timely manner. It's worth remembering that not everyone can afford to live in a retirement village, and the release of this report stands as a good reminder of that.
When people can't cover rent because they've switched from Jobseekers to NZ Super and the gap between payments is too long, or you need dentures that Work and Income won't cover because they aren't "essential", the system needs to change.
This morning we released a report revealing the harmful gaps in NZ’s welfare support system. Mana Āki - Dignity for All cab.org.nz/mana-aki, highlights the urgent need for the welfare system to accommodate for the complexity of people’s real-life circumstances and to treat people with dignity.
Based on over 10,000 welfare-related enquiries to the CAB from November 2023 to May 2025, the report shows that systemic barriers and inadequate support are leaving many people without the basic essentials for life including housing and food.
“Our clients are struggling to get help from the systems that are supposed to be there when people need them,” says Dr Andrew Hubbard, CAB Deputy Chief Executive. “They are actively seeking solutions, but the welfare system is failing to provide the support they need.”
Key findings include:
* Income inadequacy is driving financial stress, including for people in work.
* Housing unaffordability and tightened emergency accommodation criteria are pushing families into homelessness.
* Systemic and administrative failures within Work and Income is preventing people from accessing their legal entitlements.
* Sanctions and compliance systems are causing confusion, fear, and financial harm.
* Older people relying solely on superannuation are experiencing poverty.
* Digital exclusion and disability are compounding barriers for vulnerable groups.
The report underscores that these issues are not about the failings of people needing help, they are about systems that cannot accommodate the unpredictability and complexity of people’s lives. CAB calls for policy and service design that recognises complexity, prioritises dignity, and ensures access to all entitlements without unnecessary hurdles.
“People want to work, contribute, and live independently,” say Dr Hubbard. “But when the welfare system imposes rigid processes and punitive measures, it creates more hardship instead of alleviating it.”
The report calls for urgent action to:
* Improve income adequacy so benefits and wages meet real living costs.
* Strengthen housing security and streamline emergency accommodation processes.
* Simplify communication and improve case management within Work and Income.
* Review sanctions and compliance systems to prevent harm.
* Invest in advocacy and budgeting services to reduce barriers and waitlists.
Download the report cab.org.nz/mana-aki
[Image description: A purple heart with koru designs on a pale purple background with the CAB logo and report title below.]
04/12/2025
Yesterday, the government proposed some key changes to the Retirement Villages Act. The updates aim to strengthen protection for residents and make processes fairer for everyone considering or living in a retirement village.
If you pass away without a Will, the law decides how your property is shared out, and that might not be how you’d want things to go. The people you care about most might not be looked after, and sorting everything out can take time, money, and add extra stress at an already difficult time.
Having an up-to-date Will in place helps make sure your wishes are clear and that everything you own is managed and distributed the way you want it to be.
Even with the best intentions, family members can see things quite differently. What your partner believes you’d want might not be the same as what your child imagines you'd want.
To help avoid misunderstandings or conflict later on, it’s wise to appoint someone as your Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) — someone who truly understands your wishes and can speak for you if you ever reach a stage where you can’t make decisions yourself.
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Eldernet, a New Zealand company, was the first company set up over 21 years ago to provide better information about services and products for older people and to empower them to make informed choices. It was also designed as a resource for their families/whanau and those who work with them. Eldernet provides you with timely, relevant, and comprehensive information about services for older people in New Zealand.
Eldernet lists all aged residential care providers, retirement villages, and home service providers in New Zealand. As well as a range of other products and services for older people, including community groups, day programmes, kaumatua groups, meal and food providers, health professional, legal professionals, financial experts, funeral directors, travel and tour operators, and many more.
For more information, visit www.eldernet.co.nz
Care Publications is Eldernet’s sister company and brings you the “Where from Here” handbook. Formed over 26 years ago, and still owned and operated by New Zealanders, Care Publications has cemented itself as New Zealand’s leading provider of comprehensive, region specific, easy to understand information for older people, their families and those who work with them.
'Where from Here' provides an overview of services for older people in New Zealand. Our aim is to ‘put you in the driving seat’ by giving you the information you need to make informed decisions. Topics covered include: how to access services, retirement options, help at home, residential care, financial assistance and much more. The book lists all residential homes in the region and specifies the level of care each one provides. There are also lists of home help providers, Kaumatua services and day care providers.
Five editions cover New Zealand and each is specific to the area concerned: Upper North Island; Middle North Island; Lower North Island; Upper South Island; Lower South Island.
Each edition is updated every twenty months and is available free of charge through approved agencies and via health professionals such as social workers, needs assessors and service co-ordinators at public hospitals. Agencies where they may also be available include: your local GP, library, Age Concern, Grey Power or Citizens Advice Bureaux. Books can be ordered online or by contacting us.
