The Labour and Green parties have kicked off their investigation into the rest home industry and changes to home-based support with a meeting in Kapiti.
The gathering, organised by two MPs in conjunction with lobby group Grey Power, was the first of 19 to be held around the country over the next two months.
Many at the meeting gave personal accounts of aged care, and in particular how their home help had been cut.
Participants also raised concerns about the fact that assessments by district health boards on whether home help is needed are often carried out over the phone.
Kapiti Grey Power vice-president Roger Booth advises people who are questioned about home help over the phone to ask to be assessed at home, and should have another person with them.
A spokesperson for the Health Minister Tony Ryall says the telephone assessments were piloted, approved and funded under the previous Labour-led government.
One of the MPs, Labour's Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, says it's important to hear people's experiences from the rest home sector, and from those who have suffered because of cuts to home-help services.
Information from the meetings will be collated in a report to be tabled in Parliament.
