Tighter rules are being applied to rest homes across New Zealand to ensure higher quality and standards are maintained in the aged care industry.
The Ministry of Health announced auditors who check rest homes will now have to be approved by an international agency.

Minister of Health Tony Ryall says auditors risk losing their ability to check audit rest homes if they are not accredited by the ministry approved agency.
There are about 16 rest homes in Tauranga, according to Health Care Providers New Zealand.
Christine Beukes is the manager of Aspen Lodge Rest Home in central Tauranga and says the tighter rules are a positive move.
She believed that auditors across New Zealand were being accredited to varying standards.
"It's important so we deliver a quality service that can be compared to other countries," says Christine.
She says tighter rules will offer clients peace of mind because rest homes are being audited to the same standard.
"Rest homes are now comparable and people know where we stand in the market."