The first month of home care typically starts with a free in-home assessment, followed by a $197 + GST setup fee once you confirm a care plan. Ongoing care is billed from $53.97 + GST per hour, with most families starting on 3–6 hours a week. A typical first month — assessment, onboarding, and four weeks of a Home Help package — lands in the region of $1,500–$1,700, with no lock-in contract and the ability to adjust hours at any time.
Week One: The Free Assessment and Care Plan
The first real milestone is the in-home assessment. A member of the Home Carers team visits your loved one at home — not a clinic, not an office — to understand their daily routine, health needs, and what’s worrying the family most.
The assessment is free, although it is normally valued at $279, and there is no obligation attached to it. More importantly, it exists to build an accurate picture before anyone talks about hours or carers, which matters because every household’s situation looks different: some families need a few hours of home support a week, while others are further along and need dementia-specific care or 24/7 support from day one.
What the Assessment Actually Covers
- Current daily routine, mobility, and safety risks around the home
- Personality and communication style, to help match the right carer
- Existing support already in place, including any NASC-funded hours
- Family concerns — including things adult children often feel guilty raising, like overnight wandering or medication mix-ups
By the time a family is searching for “What happens after I book home care?”, they have usually already decided something needs to change. Instead, what’s left is a more practical worry: “What am I actually committing to, and what will it cost in the first few weeks?”
To help answer those questions, this guide explains exactly what happens in the first month with Home Carers — from your first phone call to your first invoice — so there are no surprises once support begins for your parent in Christchurch or Tauranga.
The First Month of Home Care: Week by Week
Week One to Two: The $197 Setup Fee and Onboarding
Once you agree on a care plan, a one-off $197 + GST setup fee applies. Importantly, this is the only administrative cost in the entire process — there’s no separate assessment fee, and Home Carers is upfront that this fee is often lower than the $200+ setup fees many other agencies charge.
The setup fee covers practical onboarding: finalising the personalised care plan, arranging a meet-and-greet between your loved one and their proposed carer, and providing an orientation tailored to their needs. Payment is due when families confirm the care plan, before the first visit.
What the First Month Actually Costs
Because there’s no facility entry fee and no long-term contract, the first month of home care is almost entirely transparent: a free assessment, a setup fee ($197 + GST), an advance payment, and then ongoing hourly or package-based care.
How the Main Packages Compare
| Package Type | Starting Weekly Price (excluding GST) | Best Suited To |
|---|---|---|
|
Home Help |
From $337 |
Companionship, light housework, errands — first step into care |
|
Dementia Support |
From $539 |
Memory loss, confusion, supervision needs |
|
Post-Hospital / Recovery |
From $599 |
Mobility support and routines after a hospital stay |
|
Overnight Support (9pm–7am) |
From $349 |
Reassurance and responsive night-time care |
|
24/7 Care |
From $1,297 |
Continuous support, often replacing rest-home care |
Source:
homecarers.co.nz/pricing, current as of June 2026. Home Carers reviews these prices periodically, so always confirm current rates before budgeting.
No Contracts, No Surprises: How Flexibility Works in Practice
One of the most common hesitations families raise at this stage is the fear of committing to something that doesn’t fit. Unlike many agencies, Home Carers doesn’t use fixed-term contracts. As circumstances change, families can adjust their hours and cancel care at any time, with seven days’ notice where possible.
That flexibility matters most in the first month, because it’s often the period when a family discovers their parent needs either less help than expected or considerably more. In either case, adjusting the plan doesn’t mean starting the search over.
What Can Change After Month One
- Hours: increase or reduce visit frequency without penalty
- Care type: step up from home help to dementia support, recovery support, or overnight care
- Carer: request a different match at no additional cost if the relationship isn’t quite right
- Scheduling: shift visit times around medical appointments, family visits, or seasonal needs
How Payments Work Each Fortnight
Transparency continues beyond the first invoice. In fact, Home Carers provides clear documentation for every payment, so families can easily see which visits took place and how much each service cost.
It’s also worth understanding from day one which situations carry a surcharge, so the first month’s invoice doesn’t come as a surprise:
| Situation | Surcharge |
|---|---|
|
Weekend hours (Friday 5pm – Monday 7am) |
+15% |
|
Public holidays |
+20% |
|
Emergency care (within 2 days) |
+50% |
|
Travel beyond 15km (each way) |
IRD mileage rate applies |
Funding Support: NASC, ACC, and Private Pay
Naturally, some families wonder whether the first month needs to be entirely self-funded. For those who qualify, a Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) referral through Health NZ – Te Whatu Ora may provide funded hours, though waitlists are common. Additionally, people recovering from a fall or injury may be eligible for ACC support toward home-based recovery care.
Private home care remains the most immediate option, as it starts without waiting for an assessment outcome — many Christchurch and Tauranga families use private care as the first month’s bridge while a NASC application is processed, then adjust hours once funding is confirmed.
A Simple Checklist for Your First Month
- Book a free in-home assessment — no cost, no obligation
- Confirm the care plan and pay the one-off $197 + GST setup fee
- Meet the proposed carer before the first visit
- Set up the advance payment and confirm the fortnightly direct debit
- Keep the first month’s invoices and timesheets for your records
- Revisit hours at the four-week mark and adjust as needed
🔗 EXTERNAL RESOURCES FOR NZ FAMILIES
Ready to Arrange Care but Not Sure Where to Start the Conversation?
Visit Home Carers New Zealand to book a free, no-obligation in-home assessment and get a clear month-one cost estimate tailored to your parent’s needs. Across Christchurch and Tauranga, Home Carers helps families move from “We should look into this” to “Support has already started.”
Whatever the level of support required, our team can talk you through exactly what the first month will involve.
YOU CAN ALSO REACH US DIRECTLY
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the first month of home care cost in Christchurch or Tauranga?
Most families start with a few hours a week at $53.97 + GST per hour, plus a one-off $197 + GST setup fee. A typical Home Help package starts from $337 + GST per week, putting a first month in the region of $1,500–$1,700, with no assessment fee and no contract.
Is there a contract I have to sign for home care?
No. In fact, Home Carers does not lock families into fixed-term contracts. Families can increase, reduce, or pause hours as needs change, and care can be cancelled at any time with seven days' notice where possible.
What happens at the free in-home assessment?
A team member visits your loved one at home, usually within a few days, to understand their routines, health needs, and family concerns. It’s free, valued at $279, and forms the basis of a personalised care plan before any carer is matched.
How quickly can home care start after the first call?
Many families are matched with a carer and begin receiving support within a week. Emergency care within two days is also available, though a 50% surcharge applies for that urgency.
What is the $197 setup fee actually for?
It covers onboarding administration — finalising the care plan, arranging a meet-and-greet with the proposed carer, and providing an orientation tailored to your loved one’s needs. It’s a one-off cost, not a recurring fee.
How does payment work once care begins?
An advance payment is made before care starts and credited to your first invoices. Thereafter, Home Carers collects payments fortnightly by direct debit, with an invoice and timesheet provided ahead of every payment.
Will my parent have the same carer every visit?
Continuity is a high priority. Carers are matched based on personality, needs, and experience instead of being rotated through a large roster. If a match isn't right, families can request a change at no extra cost.
What if the first month shows my parent needs more support than expected?
This is common and is exactly why flexible, no-contract care matters. Support can step up to overnight care, 24/7 care, or dementia-specific support as needs change, without starting the search over.