From which evidence did Health New Zealand base the new restorative service model for at-home care for older and disabled people; who conducted the research, and when?

Answer

I am advised Health New Zealand's restorative service model for at-home care was informed by both international and New Zealand research on reablement and restorative care approaches. I am further advised international evidence includes a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis by Chen, Wu, Devin and Atherton, which found that reablement interventions help older people regain functional ability and can improve outcomes such as quality of life, hospitalisation rates, and unplanned emergency department visits. I am also advised Health NZ also considered New Zealand-based research led by Professor Matthew Parsons and colleagues, including: • King et al. (2012), which assessed the impact of a restorative home care service through a cluster randomised controlled trial; • Senior et al. (2014), a randomised controlled trial examining the effectiveness of a restorative care service for frail older people; and • Parsons et al. (2017), a randomised trial of restorative home care for frail older people in New Zealand. These studies found that restorative approaches can improve functional independence and support older people to remain living at home for longer.