Stay up to date with the latest news affecting older people in Auckland and across Aotearoa.
At Age Concern Auckland, we curate relevant articles, updates, and stories on topics like elder wellbeing, healthcare, housing, community
services, and policy changes. Check back regularly for fresh content that matters to seniors, their whānau, and caregivers.
Denise Irvine is a Hamilton freelance journalist and food writer, and a regular Waikato Times contributor.
OPINION: I had a medical appointment recently with a nurse who used relentlessly first-person plural pronouns as she
stepped me through a list of questions:
“Do we know our height? What is our date of birth? Are we on any medications? Do we have any existing medical conditions? Who is our next of
kin? I’ll just check our weight, can we please pop onto the scales.” And so on.
Ministerial advisory group to look at changes to aged care funding model
This from RNZ: Changes to the aged care funding model are on the cards, with a ministerial advisory group being established to make
recommendations to a system the government says is
out of date.
The government currently spends $2.5 billion a year on aged care, which is provided privately.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said there were "major political considerations" attached to any changes, and so an independent
group was needed
to make recommendations,
as well as long-term thinking and a bipartisan approach.
She said the announcement was about better health outcomes for the 900,000 New Zealanders who were over 65, and a better, fit-for-purpose
aged care system.
The number of New Zealanders aged 65 or older is expected to increase to 1.3 million by 2040.
"We know that New Zealand has very good aged care, provided by dedicated people. However, the way that these services are funded is outdated
and does not recognise the connection between the various parts of the system or the future investment required," said Costello, who is also
Minister for Seniors.
"Essentially, our aged care model is out of date and piecemeal change isn't the solution."
Still on the clock: No stepping off the treadmill for the over 65s
Read The Post:
Turning 65 used to mean both a gold watch and a portal to the euphemistically-monikered “golden years” of a comfortable retirement.
Yet as life expectancy grows and living costs soar the idea of stepping off the working treadmill in your mid 60s has become increasingly
unrealistic for many.
At 24% we have one of the highest rates of people aged over 65 who are still working, compared with other countries such as Australia (12%)
and the UK (10%).
According to StatsNZ there are almost 200,000 working New Zealanders aged 65 or older. Almost 90,000 are aged over 70.
Certainly there’s any number of politicians, chief executives and property developers still on the tools into their 60s and 70s - and 2023
census data shows 42,000 people earning over $100,000 while collecting superannuation.
Age Concern New Zealand Supports New Report On Age-Proofing Aotearoa
This from Scoop:
Age Concern New Zealand welcomes the findings and recommendations in the latest report from WSP and The Helen Clark Foundation, titled
Age-proofing Aotearoa: Rethinking our infrastructure for an ageing population.
“We are pleased to see so many of our own priority areas addressed in this report, backed by robust data analysis. As a charity with a proud
heritage leading, advocating, connecting, and collaborating to see the delivery of local services, we do not have the resources to develop
such an in-depth data analysis ourselves. We see this as an extremely valuable contribution for decision-makers,” says Karen
Billings-Jensen, Chief Executive, Age Concern New Zealand.
At today’s report release at Parliament, Kali Mercier, WSP Fellow and Deputy Director of the Helen Clark Foundation, asked guests to
consider their age in 2048, when some regions will be experiencing ‘hyper-ageing’, with 30% of residents expected to be aged 65. “It was a
valuable reflection of the future, with some decision-makers present aged over 65 around that time. Their decisions now will be personal for
them in 23 years” says Mrs Billings-Jensen.
I’ve long felt uncomfortable with the idea that women become invisible with age; that now I’m in my 50s, I should be prepared to fade from
view. Is that really how it is?
When I asked other women in my Gen X cohort about their experiences, they shared more than one tale of apparent physical invisibility with
me: “I had my first experience of invisibility last week – I was standing at a counter ready to purchase, and two other people (who were
standing behind me) got served first”, said one woman. Another shared something similar, adding “It surprised me as I am tall and very hard
to overlook!”
Some women have experienced it showing up in working life: “I’m definitely feeling invisible in the job market at the moment,” one woman
told me. “I have applied for over 30 jobs in the last three months, and not a nibble back. I’m not sure if it’s just the job market, gender,
age, seniority…. or all of the above.”
Innovative Māori aged care model set to bring aroha, manaakitanga to kaumātua
Aged care in Aotearoa New Zealand is in crisis. Reports of staff being underpaid and over worked are common as are the reports of elderly
residents not getting the care they should. Kaitiaki is exploring what’s happening in this space. We talk with a granddaughter who is on a
mission to transform aged care for Māori, starting with kaumātua from her own tribe.
Air New Zealand pilot wins age discrimination case
A pilot who claimed Air New Zealand discriminated against him because of his age has succeeded in a personal grievance claim against the
airline.
Captain Garth McGearty took the claim against Air New Zealand to the Employment Court, after he was turned down by the Employment Relations
Authority, alleging unjustified disadvantage and unlawful discrimination because of age.
The NZ Airline Pilots Association (NZALPA) was also involved because the issues for determination involved interpretation of the union's
collective agreement.
McGearty had reached the most senior rank, as captain of the Boeing 777.
Is it an achievable goal to remain mentally sharp while aging, or is it a pipe dream?
It’s entirely possible if you cultivate habits throughout your life that are beneficial to brain function.
As a researcher in cognitive neuroscience and the neuropsychology of aging processes, I aim to shed light on the ways we can maintain good
cognitive health while aging in light of recent scientific advances.
A few years ago, as a travel journalist in Asia, I had an appointment with a spiritualleader in
his office, and I was told that he was 94 years old.
I arrived at his office door, rang the bell, and a vigorous man with a booming voice answered and beckoned me to come in. The first thing he
said was, “There will be no mention of age during our meeting. You will not use words like ‘older’ or ‘90s’ or ask me any questions that in
any way refer to the amount of time I have been alive. Now let’s begin. I am a very busy man because I run six different companies.”
I was surprised, of course, but during our interview, I understood where he was coming from. He referred several times to his belief that
accepting labels and holding stereotypical views about what happens when we have spent many years on planet earth can be limiting,
self-defeating, and depressing.
Age Concern New Zealand Huia Award 2025, Celebrating Outstanding Contributions
Age Concern New Zealand is pleased to announce the recipients of the Age Concern New Zealand Huia Awards 2025, honouring three extraordinary
individuals whose dedication has uplifted the wellbeing, dignity, and visibility of older people across Aotearoa.
“These awards shine a light on the remarkable individuals who are driving change and helping make Aotearoa New Zealand a better place to
grow older. It’s a meaningful occasion for Age Concern New Zealand and forms part of our recognition of the International Day of Older
Persons, promoting respect, inclusion, and the value of our older generations,” says Karen Billings-Jensen, Chief Executive of Age Concern
New Zealand.
Super-spry seniors help launch book on ageing better
The Devonport Flagstaff reports: Inspirational… author Leigh Elder (82) with former national tennis champ Margaret Borland (99) and
former top running coach Arch Jelley (103)
Eighty-two-year-old Devonport resident Leigh Elder is an exemplar of active living, but says he is “only a kid” compared with some of the
inspiring seniors at his book launch.
Among them was Arch Jelley, 103, master running coach to Olympic gold medallists Peter Snell and John Walker. The story of the Auckland
“super ager” who still walks kilometres a day is one of several Elder tells in his latest book Don’t Act Your Age – Living younger can be
age defying.
Another who attended was former national tennis champion Margaret Borland, aged 99, who came from Dunedin for the launch held at the William
Sanders Retirement Village last Friday.
Government rolls out new home care model for older people
This from RNZ: The government will begin rolling out a more flexible new system for delivering home care services to older people in the
South Island on Wednesday.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said it was one of a series of improvements being made to the current aged care system, backed by a
significant increase in funding.
The aged residential care sector has received a 4 percent funding uplift and would see a total increase of $96 million this year, while
funding for home and community support services would increase by $44m.
Aucklanders urged to get emergency ready this daylight saving weekend
From Our Auckland:
Emergencies don’t RSVP; they show up uninvited. Investing a little time in emergency preparedness now can make a big difference in keeping
you safer and less stressed when an emergency happens.
So this spring, Auckland Council and its Auckland Emergency Management department have launched a compelling new public awareness campaign
encouraging Aucklanders to use daylight saving weekend to get emergency ready.
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