Cook Islands paramount chief, Pa Ariki, has set aside land for the establishment of a home for the elderly at Turangi on Rarotonga.
Pa Ariki says some old people are staying at the hospital full time but they don't need to be there.
She says she is offering a piece of land to build a facility to care for them and is working with Internal Affairs to develop the proposal.
She wants to set up a respite care centre that will expand to become a full-time care facility, offering 24-hour service and a health centre.
Pa Ariki says her first step is the gift of the Turangi property, and next she intends to gather data on the state of elderly care in the Cook Islands.
