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Equipment and devices for the person you care for - A Guide for Carers

The Ministry of Health funds equipment for people who need help living safely at home. Equipment may be available for people with physical, intellectual, sensory (vision or hearing) and age-related disability needs. People under 65 years with chronic health conditions and high ongoing support needs may also get equipment.

The types of equipment available are for help with:

  • personal care, such as eating, going to the toilet and showering (a shower stool or hoist, for example) and household tasks (such as a kitchen trolley)
  • mobility, standing and postural support (a walking frame or wheelchair, for example)
  • speaking, understanding, writing and making sense of information (such as a communication board, speaking device or software to make it easier to use a computer)
  • hearing (such as personal listening systems and alarms)
  • vision (such as magnifiers, mobility canes, computer screen reading software, and for some people with severe impairment, glasses).

Subsidy for glasses

Children aged 15 years or younger with vision problems may be able to get help from the Ministry of Health with the cost of vision tests, glasses (frames, lenses or repairs) or eye patches. To get this help, the family or child needs a Community Services Card or a High Use Health Card. Your child will need to be assessed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist (eye specialist). Call 0800 171 981 for more information.

Help for adults may be available from Work and Income. For more information, go to the Glasses page on the Work and Income website.

Hearing aids for children

The Ministry of Health provides funding for hearing aids and remote microphone systems for preschoolers, and hearing aids for children and young people (20 years or younger) who are studying at school or at tertiary level.

A hospital audiologist (hearing specialist) or a vision/hearing technician who visits preschools or schools can tell you more about the help available.

Hearing aids for adults

The Ministry of Health provides funding for hearing aids for eligible adults who have had significant hearing loss since childhood or have dual disability, or are Community Services Card holders and are:

  • in paid employment for 30 hours per week or more, or
  • a registered job seeker seeking paid employment, or
  • doing voluntary work (more than 20 hours per week), or
  • studying full time, or
  • caring full time for a dependent person.

If the person needs hearing aids but doesn’t have a Community Services Card or meet the other criteria (such as working full-time), they may be able to get help with the cost of a hearing aid through a subsidy. An audiologist can help them apply.

To find out more, visit the Guide to getting hearing aids page and the Equipment for people who are Deaf or have hearing loss page on the Ministry or Health website.

If the person you care for served in the New Zealand’s Armed Forces, and their hearing loss is related to their qualifying service, they may be eligible for support with hearing aids and appliances. To find out more, visit the Hearing aids and appliances page on the Veterans' Affairs New Zealand website.

Hearing therapy services

The Ministry of Health funds hearing therapy services free of charge. Hearing therapists can assess a person’s hearing needs, provide information about hearing aids and other equipment, teach people how to manage their hearing loss and advise them on the equipment that might help them.

To find out more:

How to get help

The needs of the person you care for must be assessed before they can get help with equipment. Assessors can be occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech language therapists, audiologists and other hearing and vision professionals. For who to contact, see Who can help you get equipment or home or vehicle modifications? in Housing and vehicle modifications

To get this help, the person needs to follow the assessment process. If they buy equipment first, hoping to reclaim the money, they generally can’t claim the cost back.

Equipment needed for short-term use

If the person you care for needs equipment only for a short time, they can hire it (either from a pharmacy or by asking a local Disability Information or Resource Centre) or it may be provided through the DHB. If someone is being discharged from hospital, the hospital should arrange the equipment they need at home. Talk to the social worker, discharge nurse or occupational therapist of the person you care for.

Lottery Grants

The Lottery Individuals with Disabilities Committee provides funding to disabled people so they can buy equipment that enables them to better connect with, participate in and contribute to their communities.

The Committee provides grants for vehicles, vehicle modifications, scooters and other mobility equipment that provides outdoor mobility. It also provides grants to people who have disabilities that affect their communication to purchase equipment to help them communicate.

The Committee does not fund equipment that the Ministry of Health or ACC or any other body has agreed to fund. Requests can be made at any time using the online portal.

To find out more:

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