Getting Started

What is a Care Suite?

A Care Suite is like an apartment with care provided at rest home and hospital level. Care Suites generally have an ensuite, lounge area, and kitchenette. The best part of owning the right to occupy a Care Suite is that more support is added at any time including hospital level care – which means there’s no need to move if your needs change.

Who are Care Suites for?

Care Suites are for people who:

• are 65 years and older
• have been assessed as needing rest home or hospital level care
• want their care to come to them as their need increase.

What will it cost?

There are 4 cost elements when living in a Care Suite.

1. The Occupation License Payment

This is the amount you pay upfront as a capital sum. This amount secures an Occupation Right Agreement giving you the license to occupy the Care Suite.

2. The Net Management Fee

The Net Management Fee details are set out in the Occupation Right Agreement. Your solicitor will explain these details to you before you sign an Agreement to occupy a Care Suite. However, a general explanation of the Net Management Fee is:

• For the first 12 month period of occupation, the fee is a fixed non-refundable amount equal to 10% of the Occupation License Payment; and
• For each subsequent 12 month period of occupation, the fee is an amount equal to 10% of the Occupation License Payment. After the first 12 months this fee accrues on a monthly basis.
• The maximum amount payable as a Net Management Fee is equal to 30% of the Occupation License Payment.

3. The Daily Care Fee for Contracted Care Services

This daily fee covers the residential care services we are contracted to provide by the local District Health Board. The Daily Care Fee amount is set annually by the local District Health Board for aged care facilities within the DHB. The same Daily Care Fee is charged whether a person chooses to live in a standard care room or Care Suite.

You may be eligible for a Residential Care Subsidy or Residential Care Loan to help cover all or part of this Daily Care Fee depending on the outcome of your WINZ financial assessment. Call WINZ on 0800 999 727 to discuss further.

4. Goods and services that are available but are not covered in the Daily Care Fee

• Phone and broadband costs within the care suite
• SKY TV, magazine and newspaper subscriptions
• Clothing, toiletries and hairdressing
• Podiatrist (for some medical conditions) and Physiotherapist (if rehabilitative)
• Hearing tests, ear wax extraction, and dental health maintenance
• Entertainment activities outside the standard activities programme

How much is refunded after a person vacates the Care Suite?

Once your Care Suite is vacated, a new incoming resident can be offered the Occupation Right Agreement (ORA). Once the new resident has settled their Occupation License Payment you, or heirs to your estate, will receive a refund. The amount we refund is called the Net Refundable Amount.

Here’s an example to demonstrate how the Net Refundable Amount would be calculated for a Care Suite ORA priced at $100,000 that was occupied for 3 years:

In this example the daily cost of the ORA is less than $28 per day over 3 years.

Each Care Suite is individually priced so our Business and Care Manager will be able to advise what is currently available and its price.

Next Steps for moving into a Care Suite

Usually the care-related steps outlined below can happen at the same time as the steps required for purchasing an Occupation Right Agreement.

Care-related steps:

1. If you haven’t already been assessed as needing residential care you will need to arrange a Residential Care needs assessment. You can either ask your GP for a referral to a NASC needs assessor, or you can request an assessment directly from your local District Health Board.
2. You will need to appoint an Enduring Power of Attorney for both Personal Care and Welfare, and for Property. These are legal documents that give another person of your choice the power to make decisions on your behalf if the need arises. A solicitor or the Public Trust will need to do this for you.
3. If you wish to apply for a Residential Care Subsidy or Residential Care Loan you should call WINZ for advice about eligibility (0800 999 727). They will ask for information about your assets and income so it’s a good idea to have gathered this information together before you call.
4. Before admission you, or your Enduring Power of Attorney, will need to sign an Oceania Resident Admission Agreement (Aged Care over 65 Year). This agreement outlines the services Oceania will provide, our charges and our obligations to you. It also outlines your obligations, rights and responsibilities.

Occupation Right Agreement steps:

1. You will be asked to sign a Sales Application for the Care Suite you have chosen. This document simply requests that Oceania offers you an Occupation Right Agreement – this is not a legally binding document and you have no obligation to purchase if you change your mind. You will also be given an information copy of the Occupation Right Agreement and our disclosure documents.
2. When our legal team receives your Sales Application, they will send an Occupation Right Agreement to your solicitor.
3. Your solicitor will explain the Occupation Right Agreement to you before you are asked to sign it; we ask your solicitor to provide us with a certificate saying the Agreement has been explained fully to you.

There is a 15-working day cooling-off period from the date you sign the Occupation Right Agreement. However, we recognise that moving into care sometimes happens in a hurry, so residents can move into their Care Suite earlier provided that the Occupation Right Agreement has been signed and the Occupation License Payment has been paid to the facility’s Statutory Supervisor.

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