Last March, the board began a controversial programme of cuts to housework assistance, saying it was over-delivering compared with other district health boards.
Previously, the board delivered 37% more assistance at home than the national average.
Domestic assistance dropped 34% (134,000 hours each year), and personal care increased 17% (46,000 hours), since June 2009.
Regionally, domestic assistance (housework) in Otago had dropped 25% (62,000 hours) while personal care increased 14% (23,000 hours), and in Southland domestic assistance dropped 50% (72,000 hours) while personal care increased 22% (23,000 hours).
For 2011-12, 258,000 domestic assistance hours and 320,000 personal care hours were budgeted.
The levels were unchanged from the present financial year, Mr Mackway-Jones said.
New assessment criteria favoured offering personal care, such as showering, rather than domestic assistance, such as housework. The board had plans to increase support over time to keep rest-home admissions down.
"Our service approach is intended to support older people to live safely in their own homes for as long as possible," he said.
