Attention is being given to ensuring that assessments of disabled people for supports are more accurate and are streamlined.   In particular, the Ministry of Health began work in July 2009 to implement InterRAI Home Care and Contact Assessment tools in all district health boards, to improve needs assessment for long-term home support and aged residential care. This work will be completed over three to four years.

As well, since disabled people have often found support services to be fragmented, with different agencies dealing with different aspects of one disabled person’s needs, government agencies are now giving attention to a ‘whole of life’ focus, including improved co-ordination of services. The Ministry of Health is now investigating local area co-ordination-type models to help improve identification of what individual disabled people need to live “a good life”, and their access to related supports. A report-back on developments will be provided to the Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues in March 2010.