1. Improved body strength can lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

The correlation between a strong body and a sharp mind isn’t just anecdotal – Courtney McCormack points to a UK Biobank study of 148,659 older adults which measured their grip strength.

“Grip strength is a simplistic but helpful over-arching gauge of total body strength,” she says. “And the study showed that people in the highest third of grip strength had a 31% lower risk of developing dementia and a 26% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

And the really good news? It’s never too late.]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/507/Screenshot-2026-10-12-103623.png url https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/10/11/using-your-muscles-lowers-your-risk-of-dementia-and-you-dont-even-need-to-join-a-gym/ 2026-10-11 21:37:45 506 1 From RNZ: Each week, about a dozen women from around New Zealand send Vicki Ogden-O’Fee a lock of their hair. ​

It’s not weird at all. ​

Ogden-O’Fee, a Christchurch hair stylist of 43 years, uses the test strands to determine how a client’s hair will respond to what has been dubbed grey blending. It is a boutique service that varies between clients, involving highlights, lowlights and tones to gradually integrate grey hair into a low-maintenance colour. Often, the hair samples paint a story of someone who has dyed or bleached over their greys for years, adding complexity to the transition.]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/506/Screenshot-2026-10-12-101835.png url https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/lifestyle/style/grey-blending-the-new-menu-item-at-your-hair-salon 2026-10-11 21:21:05 505 1 From the beehive: From today, women turning 71 are eligible for free breast screening as BreastScreen Aotearoa's age extension programme enters its second year, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Women's Minister Nicola Grigg say.

"Breast cancer is the most common cancer among New Zealand women, with around 3,700 diagnosed every year. Extending free screening means more of those cancers will be found early, when they're most treatable," Mr Brown says.

"Last October we took the first step in a four-year rollout, extending free screening to women aged 70 and 74. From today, women turning 71 are included, with those turning 72 and 73 to follow each October over the next two years.

"Once the extension is fully in place, approximately 120,000 more women will be eligible for free screening."

Mr Brown says the Government has been building capacity so services can keep pace with demand.

"All four new mobile screening units have now been delivered, bringing the national fleet to 14. Each can screen around 5,000 women a year and brings mammograms to women in provincial centres, small towns, and rural communities, so fewer women need to travel long distances to be screened.

"Alongside the mobile units, five new or redevelopment sites have been established in Whangārei, Takapuna, Greenlane, Kāpiti, and Counties Manukau." ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/505/Screenshot-2026-10-02-094349.png url https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/free-breast-screening-extends-women-aged-71-today 2026-10-01 20:45:17 504 1 From the Herald: While some of these changes can be a normal part of ageing, others may signal an underlying eye condition.

James Byczek was out to dinner with his wife and a friend when he noticed what he thought was a fly buzzing around the room. “I asked them if they saw it, too, and they said no,” he said. Later, at home, the floating spot had transformed into a thick, squiggly black line in his left eye. “I thought, ‘that’s weird, I must have something in my eye’,” Byczek, then 56, recalled. But he didn’t see anything when he looked in the mirror.

Byczek, who lives in the US, booked an appointment with an optometrist, who told him to go to the emergency department. Three days later, he was in surgery for a retinal detachment.

Developing a detached retina – when the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye pulls away from its normal position – is fairly uncommon. The average person’s lifetime risk is less than 1%. However, if you are very nearsighted, have had a previous eye injury or have a family history of detachment, your chances of experiencing one are higher. Age increases that risk, too. “One of the main considerations with eye health is that age is a risk factor for nearly every eye disease,” said Teri Geist, president of the American Optometric Association and an optometrist at Midwest Eye Care in Omaha, Nebraska. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/504/Screenshot-2026-10-02-093904.png url https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/seven-common-age-related-eye-changes-you-shouldnt-ignore/premium/6U44Q2CSCVBGJIS4PHIKDN2FNI/ 2026-10-01 20:41:47 503 1
“My background is in athletics,” she says. “I used to compete in athletics at school and college. I took it back up again 15 years ago and compete in the discus, shot put, hammer, javelin and weight throw.”

As she got older, Justine noticed changes in her body that meant she needed to adapt her approach. “I used to rely on speed and technique, but my speed was declining. Fast spins I could do a decade ago became more difficult, my knee ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/503/Screenshot-2026-10-01-162340.png url https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/09/27/the-84-year-old-powerlifter-proving-strength-has-no-age-limit/ 2026-10-01 04:00:04 502 1 From Scoop: New Zealand needs to invest more in helping older people remain at home for longer or face mounting pressure on hospitals, residential care and family carers.

To mark International Day of Older Persons (1 October 2026), Presbyterian Support Northern's (PSN) Enliven Home and Disability Support Services is calling on the Government to make ageing at home a national priority. This International Day of Older Persons, Enliven is calling for ageing at home to be a national priority

Enliven General Manager Wendy Hoskin says this year's theme, The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives, highlights the need for the government and communities to rethink how we support an ageing population. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/502/Screenshot-2026-09-30-155814.png url https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE2609/S00075/helping-older-people-stay-at-home-longer-is-critical-before-the-aged-care-system-reaches-breaking-point.htm 2026-09-30 03:00:35 501 1 From University of Auckland News: Work is a big part of people’s lives – and that doesn’t stop when they turn 65, says University of Auckland’s Dr Deepika Jindal. A new study aims to identify challenges faced by older workers. Photo: GettyImages.Research exploring the employment experiences of older New Zealanders has been launched by University of Auckland's Dr Deepika Jindal.A professional teaching fellow in the Business School, Jindal hopes her study will identify challenges facing older workers and give organisations insights into changes they can make to better support them.In the 1990s, about five percent of people aged 65 and over were in paid employment, but by 2024 this had increased five-fold to about 26 percent, she says.“Some older people are driven by financial necessity, but others find meaning and social connection through work.“Some have said they want to retire, but feel life would be empty without work,” Jindal says.]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/501/Screenshot-2026-09-28-160524.png url https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/09/28/deepika-jindal-older-workers-career-crafting.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com 2026-09-28 03:07:39 500 28 https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/500/Screenshot-2026-09-24-135809.png page https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/news/media-releases-and-statements/open-letter-to-mps/ 2026-09-24 01:17:27 499 1
The World Alzheimer Report 2026, released today from Alzheimer's Disease International, says despite years of slow progress, clinical trials are now on the brink of diagnostic and medical breakthroughs.

The number of people living with dementia globally is projected to surpass 139 million by 2050, the report said, becoming one of the leading causes of death throughout the world.

But while a cure is still far away, medical research is radically shifting the understanding of the disease.

"I think for a long time there's been a fairly nihilistic view in the dementia world, that it is something that can just happen as you age for example, and that we can't do anything about," neurologist, neuroscientist and Alzheimers NZ spokesperson Dr Campbell Le Heron said. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/499/Screenshot-2026-09-21-150707.png url https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/1483456/alzheimer-s-disease-starting-to-be-considered-a-treatable-condition-study 2026-09-21 03:11:02 498 1
Those are the kupu one Pākehā grandmother hopes will encourage more New Zealanders to take their first step toward te reo Māori and te ao Māori.

Gael Finlayson-Davis, grandmother of six and great-grandmother of two, now in her 70s, became an unexpected symbol of this year's Matariki celebrations after speaking through tears at the national hautapu ceremony at Takaparawhau.

• Matariki for everyone proves true at Takaparawhau

By Adrián Carballo Casla for The Conversation

For the study, my colleagues and I followed nearly 3000 people aged 60 and over in Sweden and found that those who usually went longest without eating developed chronic diseases faster than those who had shorter gaps between meals. The difference was clearest among people aged 78 and over.

This does not mean that fasting causes disease in old age, nor that every older person should avoid long intervals without food. But it does raise questions about whether advice based on stu ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/493/Screenshot-2026-09-07-102414.png url https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/09/06/long-gaps-between-meals-may-not-be-healthy-for-older-people-study/ 2026-09-06 22:25:30 475 1
The briefing is a response to a report published last month - A place to grow old: Securing the future of aged care - that laid bare the pressure on the sector as the population ages.

The report called for an overhaul of the aged care system, warning there could be a shortage of more than 9000 residential beds in just over a decade - costing the government nearly $600 million more each year. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/475/Screenshot-2026-09-01-124849.png url https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/1202124/steps-to-combat-dementia-could-free-up-thousands-of-aged-care-beds-in-future-report 2026-09-01 00:49:52 472 1 This from Waatea Digital: A major review of Aotearoa’s aged-care system is calling for sweeping reform, but for Māori health researcher Dr Joanna Hikaka the conversation also raises a more fundamental question: what does growing older actually look like for Māori, and is a system largely designed around Western definitions of ageing capable of meeting the needs of kaumātua?…


A major review of Aotearoa’s aged-care system is calling for sweeping reform, but for Māori health researcher Dr Joanna Hikaka the conversation also raises a more fundamental question: what does growing older actually look like for Māori, and is a system largely designed around Western definitions of ageing capable of meeting the needs of kaumātua?

Dr Hikaka, Director of the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research, joins Radio Waatea as the Government considers the findings of A Place to Grow Old: Securing the Future of Aged Care, the independent Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group report released this month.

]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/472/Screenshot-2026-08-25-095222.png url https://waateanews.com/2026/08/24/what-does-growing-older-look-like-for-maori-aged-care-report-exposes-equity-challenge/ 2026-08-24 21:54:22 471 1 From the Herald: Most of us know what it takes to maintain our physical health, but what does it mean to have a healthy brain?

Professor Hanneke Hulst, a neuroscientist and director of the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland, says brain health depends on multiple factors.

“It is physical health, but it’s also our environment, our opportunities to learn, social connection, safety, access to good healthcare, and I think all of these influence how our brains develop, adapt, respond to challenges throughout life,” she says.

Hulst’s research focuses on cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis and its effects on those who live with the condition. But she says it’s important to think and talk about brain health not only in the context of disease, but in everyday life.

“We all want to flourish, whether in the presence or absence of a diagnosis,” she says.]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/471/Screenshot-2026-08-25-094548.png url https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/how-to-keep-your-brain-healthy-as-you-age-according-to-a-neuroscientist/A4RA4S6YFVCDVKHSB642QZZGRY/ 2026-08-24 21:47:24 470 1 From RNZ: Some age-related decline is locked in. Strength, balance and fall risk are not - and the evidence shows what works.
Jack McNamara and Lee Brown for24 August 20269 min readPhoto credit:Unsplash / Getty Images

Here is a finding that surprises most people, including plenty of regular gym-goers.

When researchers tracked nearly 1900 older adults (aged 70-79) over three years, those who held on to their muscle mass, and even those who gained some, still lost strength. Leg strength declined about three times faster than muscle mass.

That gap matters because it tells you something the mirror does not. Legs can look much the same while the force they produce quietly drains away. It also explains why so much advice about ageing misses the mark. The question is not whether you are losing anything, because you are. The question is which losses you can do something about. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/470/Screenshot-2026-08-25-094212.png url https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/wellbeing/what-happens-to-strength-balance-stamina-and-reflexes-as-you-age-and-what-you-can-do-about-it 2026-08-24 21:44:15 469 1
The Council of Christian Social Services began the Older Persons Poverty Monitor project because there is no formal measure of poverty for older people.

They developed a framework with a plan to provide annual updates and released it's inaugural report this morning.

It found around 102,000 older people are living in income poverty after housing costs, and half of that number pay more than 40 percent of their income towards accommodation costs.

The council's chief executive Alicia Sudden.]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/469/Screenshot-2026-08-20-203656.png url https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019048243/new-report-on-income-poverty-in-people-over-65 2026-08-20 08:38:59 468 1 This story from One News: "While many older people are supported well, current settings will not be able to meet future demand safely, equitably or sustainably without major deliberate system change," it said.

The Ministerial Advisory Group on Aged Care in New Zealand, chaired by former Labour minister of health David Cunliffe, has made 40 recommendations in total, including the Government committing to "significant price uplifts" and lowering the threshold at which people with assets must pay more towards their care.

It warned if there was no change, there could be a shortage of more than 9000 residential beds in just over a decade, at an additional cost to governments of nearly $600 million a year. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/468/Screenshot-2026-08-20-203016.png url https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/17/report-calls-for-action-over-creaking-aged-care-model/ 2026-08-20 08:32:14 467 1 This from Scoop: MoneyHub has published the first guide of its kind in New Zealand: Over-65 Entitlements - The Definitive List for New Zealanders, a single consolidated list of every entitlement, payment, subsidy and discount available to New Zealanders aged 65 and over - more than 40 at last count, and growing. The guide covers NZ Super and its extras, health subsidies, rates relief, transport, SuperGold discounts, funded care and support, and special situations, with every item tagged so readers can see at a glance whether it is automatic, needs a one-off application, or depends on income, assets, a needs assessment or region.

The guide’s central finding: most New Zealanders claim only a fraction of what they could. The information is scattered across Work and Income, Health New Zealand, local councils, NZTA and dozens of company policies - and almost none of it arrives automatically. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/467/Screenshot-2026-08-20-150608.png url https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2608/S00104/what-turning-65-unlock-moneyhub-publishes-list-of-over-65-entitlements-and-says-most-retirees-claim-only-a-fraction.htm 2026-08-20 03:06:56 466 1
Dr Hannah Cooper, a public health physician in the health intelligence team at PHF Science, said in recent weeks - particularly the past seven days - cases have climbed sharply.

"In the past week [there's been] an increase in flu-related hospitalisations in the Auckland region. They actually doubled in the previous week compared to the week prior."

However, they were still within the normal range for peak season seen in previous years.

For the week ending 9 August, the rate was 3.781 per 100,000 people - up from 1.574 the week before. ]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/466/Screenshot-2026-08-14-152311.png url https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/999351/flu-related-hospitalisations-in-auckland-double-in-space-of-a-week 2026-08-14 03:26:00 465 1
Head of financial advice Romil Ghelani said it had conducted a review of access to advice this year and one of the most common "advice gaps" was a need for help, as people started to draw down their savings to live on.

"That's one of the hardest financial transitions that someone can make in their life."

He said, while there were products to help, they were not as common as in other countries.]]> https://www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz/media/website_posts/465/Screenshot-2026-08-12-135300.png url https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/personal-finance/949594/why-older-people-may-be-left-out-of-kiwisaver 2026-08-12 02:16:48