Frequently Asked Questions

I am not sure what kind of support I really need. Where do I start?

Every day we talk to people who, for a variety of reasons, need support either for themselves or for a loved one. In fact, a large number of staff who work at Panacea have needed to access services for family members so we do understand the kinds of support that make a difference. We have skilled, innovative people to help - so talk to us and together we will come up with the right solution just for you.

Do you have trained support workers?

Your safety and well being is very important.. All of our support workers must attend training sessions at Panacea Healthcare. You will only be offered support workers who have been assessed as being competent. If for any reason you are unhappy, we will find a replacement support workers as soon as possible.

What types of task are covered under home help?

Home help means those tasks that need to be done as part of the day to day running of a household. This includes general support like washing, ironing, dusting, cleaning, changing bed linen, shopping and meal preparation. The tasks performed may vary from week to week depending upon your needs.

Unfortunately we do not offer spring cleaning or window washing services.

Are the services flexible?

Absolutely. We can start and stop the services according to your need. We can start out with long periods of support and cut back as you feel more able to cope. With reasonably short notice we can change the hours and/or days on which we provide support.

We are happy to schedule separate periods of support in the same day if that is what you need. For practical scheduling purposes, each period of support must be at least 1 hour.

How soon can we start?

If you need help now we may be able to have someone with you on the same day. However, we prefer to have a little notice so that we can plan with you and make sure that we get things right the first time.

I have a full time carer already but sometimes they need a break. Can you help?

There is a subsidy funded through the Ministry of Health or a District Health Board called Carer Support. 

It assists the unpaid, full time carer of a person with a disability to take a break by contributing to the cost of using a support person to give your caregiver some time out.

Panacea provides support workers on a short term basis to provide you with this kind of service. To find out whether you are eligible for this support see the Ministry of Health website or talk to your GP who will help you to apply.

How much will it cost?

That really does depend upon the level of support that you need. We charge for our support services on an hourly basis. We know that the rate we charge provides good value for money.

You may be eligible for subsidised or funded services. The local Needs Assessment and Coordination Service (NASC) that operates within most District Health Boards (DHBs) offers information, a full assessment service and access to other services. To get a referral to your local NASC you can either phone them directly or go through your GP.

Can I get help with transport?

Yes - The Total Mobility (TM) scheme is a national scheme that assists people with impairments to enhance their community participation by accessing appropriate transport. This assistance is provided to eligible, registered individuals in the form of subsidised door-to-door transport services wherever TM transport providers operate. Click this link to download more information