Have you had any difficulties financing the Spark of Life Model of Care due to funding constraints?

Are there ongoing costs for re-certification?

A question presented at the 2025 National Dementia Forum, Melbourne.

By Mischeal McCormick
Owner of Adriel House and Adriel Rest Home
Two Spark of Life Centres of Excellence
Amberley, New Zealand

In New Zealand there is basic funding for aged care facilities- one payment for everybody. This payment is asset tested so if you have some savings then the care home room would be privately funded, otherwise if you have under a certain amount, the government will pay. In my home I have around 50% who are self-funded and 50% who are government funded.

I am a small home, privately owned, with 42 residents. I have chosen not to charge for any extras, such as a bigger room, more of a view or an individual bathroom. I have chosen to keep it simple for everybody, so each person pays the same amount.

We have full occupancy because of our positive reputation- because of the impact of the Spark of LifeModel of Care. I have been there for 25 years; we are financially secure and it hasn’t been a funding issue to implement the Model into Adriel.

So, without covering the specific figures, it obviously is financially viable.

Regarding the ongoing costs, when a home becomes certified as a Spark of Life Centre of Excellence there is an annual recertification process and the fee for that is AU $990 which covers the whole recertification process.