A woman whose mother had to be evacuated from a West Coast rest home during flooding says the situation raises questions about whether there are enough beds for the elderly.
Forty-five residents from Allen Bryant rest home were moved and are now in Grey Hospital, private facilities and with family.
The rest home may be closed for up to six months while repairs are carried out.
Robyne Bryant's mother is one of several residents who are staying at the hospital.
She told Nine to Noon that families have had to consider whether their relatives would be moved out of town to places like Christchurch, Nelson or Auckland because there were not enough hospital level beds locally.
She has now been reassured her mother can stay at Grey Hospital, but said even in an emergency there had to be a back-up plan for where people could be placed.
A West Coast DHB spokesperson, Karyn Bousfield, said the priority during the flooding was the best care.
"Capacity is actually a business-as-usual situation and we need to go back to remembering this is extenuating circumstances, this is a flood that we've had to manage in an emergency situation much like the earthquakes in Christchurch."
Ms Bousfield said it was ensuring there were appropriate places for all the rest home residents.
