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FAQs

General FAQ's

A Compassionate Community is a network of people who believe it’s everyone’s responsibility to care for each other through illness, dying, caregiving and grief and loss.

Te Atawhai Aroha Compassionate Communities Rotorua Trust aims to join other cities around the world, to adopt the The Compassionate City Charter, and become Aotearoa’s first Compassionate City.

FAQ: Planning Ahead

Advance Care Planning is a process that allows you to discuss and outline your preferences for future medical and end of life care with your whānau. It helps ensure that your wishes are honoured when you can no longer communicate them.
You can begin by answering five simple questions about your preferences for care. Then, complete a more detailed Advance Care Plan and discuss it with your GP to include it in your medical notes.
Free hard copies of Advance Care Plans in both English and Te Reo are available at Te Aka Mauri – Rotorua Library. Ask for them at the front desk.
Yes, your Advance Care Plan can be updated or changed at any time to reflect your current wishes.
If you have a dementia diagnosis, it’s important to plan early for your end of life and death care preferences. Consider setting up an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for both property and personal care, ensuring your appointed representative understands your wishes.
A will allows you to specify how your property and affairs should be managed after your death. Dying without a will can lead to complications and increased costs for your loved ones.
In New Zealand, the average cost of making a simple will is between $250 and $700, and more if it is complex. Free legal advice and will preparation is available at the Rotorua District Community Law Centre.
There are 2 types of EPA – Personal care and welfare, and property. Both need to be appointed by a lawyer for a fee. An EPA for personal care and welfare is a legal document that gives someone you trust the power to make decisions for your personal care and welfare on your behalf if you are unable to. Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for personal care and welfare | New Zealand Government An EPA for property is a legal document that means that someone you trust can look after your money and property if you become unable to. Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for property | New Zealand Government
Planning well ahead for your funeral can significantly reduce costs. The average cost of a funeral in New Zealand is around $10,000, but with careful planning, it can be managed for as low as $1,500.
A digital legacy includes your online accounts, passwords, and digital information. You should choose a trusted person to manage this information after your passing and document your wishes.

Visit Organ Donation New Zealand or call 0800 4 DONOR (0800 436 667) for more information.

Even if you decide you want to donate all or some of your organs after you die, ultimately it is up to your family to decide after your death. Let your wishes be known beforehand and teach them about organ donation and what it involves to prepare them.
Yes, you can email us to arrange a speaker for your group.
You can contact the Maori Land Court or Rotorua Community Law for assistance with land succession planning.
READ MORE ABOUT PLANNING AHEAD

FAQ: Towards End of Life

If you want to continue living at home but need assistance, you may qualify for home help or personal care services. To access these services, you will need to go through a Needs Assessment Service Coordination (NASC) from Te Whatu Ora – Lakes.
If you need rest home or hospital – level care, you can explore various options available in the Rotorua region by following He Ara Whakamua. This resource will guide you through the processes for obtaining the right level of care.
Palliative Care offers holistic support for individuals with life-limiting illnesses. It focuses on improving quality of life by managing pain and other distressing symptoms, while also allowing for life-extending treatments if desired. Palliative care can be provided at home or in a hospital, and referrals can be made by any healthcare practitioner.
Caregiving can be challenging. he Hospice NZ website offers valuable resources for caregivers. Additionally, Rotorua Community Hospice is available to assist with any questions or support needs you may have.
Rotorua Hospice offers free palliative care, nursing advice, support, and equipment loans to patients and their families/whānau during the end-of-life phase. More information can be found on their website.

Rotorua has several support groups, including:

  • Kaumatua Groups – 
RAPHS (Rotorua Area Primary Health Services) acts as a gateway to health information for patients and families. You can contact them at Koiora Healthcare Support or call 0800 1 Koiora (0800 1 564 672). You can access an updated and comprehensive list of health and wellbeing services in Rotorua through the Good Health Rotorua resource.
READ MORE ABOUT TOWARDS END OF LIFE

FAQ: What Happens When Death Occurs?

Take your time to be with your loved one, and contact whānau who need to know. During the day, contact your doctor to initiate the necessary legal processes, such as signing the medical certificate. If the deceased wished for cremation, be aware that a second doctor’s signature is required.
Yes. The driver will need to sign a Transfer of Charge of Body form (BDM39) at the mortuary, take full responsibility for the legal death documents as well as the safe transport of the body/tūpāpaku. Most people rely on a funeral director to transport the body, however if you have signed the Transfer of Charge of Body form and understand the responsibilities, there is no reason why you can’t.Talk to the mortuary at the hospital for more information.
An unexpected death can be more complicated and emotional. If you find yourself in this situation, call 111. Emergency services, including police and ambulance, will respond. An unexpected death can be a very different situation from an expected death, and the Coroner is usually involved.
In the case of an unexpected death, the police will inform the Coroner who is a specialised lawyer. The Coroner investigates to determine the circumstances surrounding the death, including when, where, how, and why it happened. This process can also help identify ways to prevent similar deaths in the future.
The key players after a sudden death include:
  • Emergency Services: Police, fire and ambulance respond to the scene.
  • Coroner: Investigates the circumstances of the death.
  • Healthcare Providers: Doctors who may report the death if the cause is unclear.
      • For detailed information on the roles of those involved, refer to the document. PLEASE PROVIDE THIS DOCUMENT SO I CAN LINK IT.

There is a local monthly support group which meets at the Rotorua Library


Loss & Grief Support (Flyer A4) – take 3.pdf

PLEASE PROVIDE THIS DOCUMENT

Information can be found at Citizens Advice Bureau on Grief and Loss If you’re dealing with grief, there are various support services available, including:

  • Aoake te Rā – Support services for individuals, whānau and communities who have lost someone to suicide.
  • Victim Support Services –  Resources for those who have lost someone due to homicide.
  • SANDS: Provides peer support for those who have experienced the death of a baby at any stage of gestation. SANDS BOP for the Rotorua region or nationally Sands New Zealand Support Groups
    • .
Comprehensive information about both expected and unexpected deaths can be found at Te Hokinga ā Wairua End of Life Service.
READ MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DEATH OCCURS

FAQ: After Death Care

Although there may be instances where embalming is helpful – eg if you are waiting for family to come back from overseas, embalming is not required by law. Embalming is environmentally harmful and expensive (on average $1000.00 ). There are natural cooling alternatives that can slow the decomposition process, allowing time to make arrangements and decisions that honour loved ones.These are available from Te Atawhai Aroha, please email us.
If the body is not embalmed, it needs to be kept between 1-4 degrees celsius, and to be cooled as soon as possible to slow down decomposition. Alternatives to embalming are available here.
If cooling mats are not available, you can use ice packs or frozen water bottles stacked around the torso. These will need to be changed regularly to maintain the desired temperature.
READ MORE ABOUT AFTER DEATH CARE

FAQ: Funeral and Tangihanga

The average cost of a funeral is now $10,000, which can be unaffordable for many families.
Planning ahead is key to reducing funeral expenses. With careful planning, it is possible to arrange a cremation farewell and a self-catered funeral service for around $1,500. Decide how much you and whānau are able to do yourselves, such as transporting, caring for your loved one at home, using cooling alternatives to embalming, building your own coffin and having a home funeral.
  • Having a farewell service
  • A headstone or memorial
    • fees for looking after the person’s body (such as embalming and transport)
  • Fee paid to a funeral director for professional services
  • Fee for legal help to deal with the person’s estate
  • Catering/flowers/death notice
You may be eligible for assistance towards the cost of funeral expenses from WINZ.To see how to apply for a WINZ grant (up to $2,559.20 link on Funeral Grant – Work and Income. When someone close to you dies from an injury that ACC covers, you can apply for financial support up to $7,793.13 to help with funeral or memorial costs, one-off payments and loss of income. Financial support if someone has died from an injury.
Yes, there are some specific criteria needed for cremation though – a flat bottom of the casket/coffin, as it needs to work on rollers. You can make your own in advance. DIY Funeral have options for doing this or contact either Rotorua Coffin Club, or the Kiwi Coffin Club.
If the person who died was in your immediate family, you or your family may be able to get help with: the costs of booking urgent domestic flights due to the death, or changing flights that have already been booked if you can’t travel due to the death.
There are many benefits of family-led, home funerals. A home funeral allows families to take on some or all aspects of the funeral arrangements themselves, helps process grief, and saves money. There are resources available, including the DIY funeral site, for guidance on how to proceed.
A natural burial involves burying the body in a shallow burial plot to allow for speedy decomposition, and embalming is not allowed. Later, a native tree is planted on the grave.
No – not yet, but Te Atawhai Aroha is working on this with iwi and Rotorua Lakes Council to establish one here.While recent efforts to include this in the Long Term Plan were unsuccessful, the new cemetery area will include natural burials. If you would like to be involved or updated about this – please sign up for our Panui. ADD SIGN UP LINK TO POP UP panui
Here are the current fees for both in the Rotorua area: 2024/25 FEES AND CHARGES
What you need to do before a burial or cremation.
READ MORE ABOUT FUNERAL AND TANGIHANGA

FAQ: Grief and Loss

Grief is the profound emotional response to loss, especially the death of a loved one. It encompasses a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, confusion, guilt, and relief, and is a deeply personal experience that varies from person to person.
Grief can manifest in various ways, including emotional reactions (like sadness or anger), physical symptoms (such as fatigue or illness), and behavioural changes (like withdrawal from social activities). It’s important to understand that everyone’s grief journey is unique.
Aoake te Rā offers free nationwide support for individuals, whānau, and communities affected by suicide. You can contact them by calling 0800 000 053 or visiting their website.
Victim Support provides trained staff and volunteers to assist individuals and families dealing with the trauma of homicide. You can reach out to them at 0800 842 846 or visit their website for more resources.
Citizens Advice Bureau has information on how to deal with Grief and Loss, and we have helpful links about grief and loss on our Resource page More local support resources will be available soon. Family Focus are opening a grief hub in Sala St Rotorua, in mid November.
Yes, the “Loss & Grief Support” is an informal group which meets at the library on the 3rd Saturday of each month. PLEASE PROVIDE DOCUMENT
  1. Grief belongs to the griever – everyone experiences grief differently, so follow their lead. Understand that there are good and bad moments, and these will go on.
  2. Take care with giving advice and try to avoid comparisons with the past or future. Try not to tell them how lucky they were, that they’ll love again, that it’ll be better later.
  3. Anticipate, don’t ask. Don’t say “Call me if you need anything”. Say “I’ll bring dinner tonight” or “I’ll pick up the kids and walk your dog” or other recurring day-to-day tasks.
  4. Don’t try to fix the unfixable; you can’t take their pain away.
  5. Love them!
Being present, listening without judgement, and offering practical assistance can be immensely helpful. Encourage them to seek professional support if needed and remind them that it’s okay to grieve in their own way.
READ MORE ABOUT GRIEF AND LOSS

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DIRECT BANK TRANSFER

Payment can be internet banked to the following account:
ASB 12-3155-0165364-00
Te Atawhai Aroha Compassionate Communities Rotorua Trust
Under ‘Particulars’ put your family name.