News

23 Jul

Older people facing impossible choices as cost of living continues to bite

Age Concern Auckland says older people are facing impossible choices as the surging cost of living crisis continues to bite.

Annual inflation had risen to 4.1 percent, the highest level in more than two years.

Power prices were up 12 percent annually and rates increased by 8.8 percent.

Age Concern Auckland's chief executive Kevin Lamb said a lot of older people were existing on superannuation alone.

"These latest increases, and particularly at this time of year, when they're having to make those awful decisions of whether or not to heat their home or go and buy groceries, they are now living almost beyond their means where they simply can't make ends meet," he said.

Lamb said that, in the past year, Age Concern Auckland had seen a 20 to 30 percent increase in calls for help.

"We're dealing with potentially vulnerable older people who don't have support networks around them, they don't have a family to support them, they're living in loneliness and isolation," he said.

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13 Jul

Sir Anthony Hopkins to release debut album inspired by his childhood

This from BBC: Sir Anthony Hopkins will release his first album next month featuring a collection of classical pieces he has worked on for six decades.

The Oscar-winning actor said he had been composing music "all my life", and that "music was my first desire, my first wish".

The first single from the 88-year-old's album, titled Life Is A Dream, was released on Friday, and was inspired by his childhood memories of Margam in south Wales.

The Port Talbot-born star, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, has written his own music since childhood, and began playing the piano at the age of four.

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9 Jul

Yale study finds many over-65s grow stronger and sharper with age

Instead of going downhill with age, what if you could actually improve your cognitive function and physical capabilities?

Astronomer Galileo Galilei, often called the “father of modern science”, completed his final masterpiece on the laws of motion while nearly blind, under house arrest and over 70.

Swimmer Diana Nyad swam 177km from Cuba to Florida when she was 64, after failing multiple times earlier in life.

Painter Joseph Turner produced some of his most ground-breaking and enduring works in his 60s.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then new research shows healthy ageing could be in the mind.

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3 Jul

Les Mills, former Auckland mayor and fitness pioneer, dies at 91

From one news: Les Mills, four-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, former Auckland mayor and founder of a fitness empire, has died. He was 91.

In a statement posted to Instagram, the Mills family confirmed his death, describing him as "an absolute legend" and "a Kiwi icon who blazed a trail in sport, business, politics and life".

"He laid the foundations for a movement that has inspired millions around the world to fall in love with fitness – a legacy that lives on in every workout."

Leslie Roy Mills MBE, CNZM was born in Auckland on November 1, 1934. The death of his father led him to find solace in fitness and he grew into an athlete that would represent New Zealand on the world stage for more than a decade.

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3 Jul

Age Concern Southland trials virtual reality headsets

Older Southlanders could soon be jetting off to Europe, or swimming with dolphins without leaving home, thanks to virtual reality. For the past two months, Age Concern Southland has been running VR headset trials with their volunteers. Its manager Janette Turner spoke to John Campbell.

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25 Jun

Boomer Women Are Changing the Time-Worn Aging Script

• Today's woman aged 60-70 refuses to treat the next few decades as a slow fade rather than one of more freedom.
• The change in us is more a shift than a vibe. Few of us planned any of it. We just never got the memo.
• Confidence and visibility aren't things we are willing to surrender when we turn 60.

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25 Jun

Mr Hill, 84 today, contemplates the end (of writing)

From Newsroom: I turn 84 today. Maybe that’s why I find myself thinking of the decision made by Maurice Gee, who published no adult fiction for his last 16 years. He stopped, as deliberately and absolutely as that.

I also think of Harry Orsman, lexicographer, authority on English as spoken in New Zild, and one of my university tutors at what was then Victoria University of Wellington. Harry was talking to us one afternoon about Chaucer’s language and sources. He mentioned his own tutor, from the late 1940s it would have been. I can’t recall the guy’s name. But I do remember Harry pausing, smiling affectionately, and saying ”There’s not much left of him now, except a pair of bright blue eyes. But he’s still writing.” I knew instantly that I wouldn’t – couldn’t – forget that tribute.

So there you are. One author who stopped; one who couldn’t. Pause here, to contemplate which category each of us may slip into. I know authors who stopped because they couldn’t face another rejection; others whose health or other outside-world circumstances meant they couldn’t keep going. I sympathise with them all.

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25 Jun

Rotorua iwi Ngāti Whakaue launches ‘world-first’ papakāinga aged care model

From the New Zealand Herald: A Rotorua iwi has launched a “world-first” aged care model designed to support kaumātua at home for as long as possible.

Ngāti Whakaue unveiled the papakāinga model of care “designed by iwi, for iwi” at Te Puia in Rotorua on Friday.

About 160 people attended the launch, including Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, Iwi Māori Partnership Boards and Ngāti Whakaue representatives.

Ngāti Whakaue has been working with Te Rau Ora – the kaupapa Māori health workforce development organisation for Aotearoa – to address who will care for the iwi’s ageing population, and where.

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17 Jun

'Technostress' causing older people to feel shut out by digital world, research finds

Endless apps, pop-ups, passwords, updates, downloads, and deepfakes - the relentless march of the digital age is enough to make anyone's head spin.

For some older New Zealanders, it's leading to a loss of social connection and even limiting their access to essential services.

New research out of the University of Auckland has found that "technostress" is causing many older people to feel shut out by the digital world.

But not for 92-year-old Peter Singh and his top-of-the-line iPhone 17.

"I do my emails, I do my banking," he said. "I can find my way in the car."

A keen photographer, he's also got every app you can think of - he's even on TikTok.

He said he knew nothing of computers when he first joined the Eden-Roskill branch of SeniorNet, a non-profit society helping people over 50 to learn or enhance their technology skills.

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16 Jun

A sports professor on five of the biggest myths about exercise and aging

As people around the world seek to live longer, healthier lives, the global longevity and wellness market has topped US$2.5 trillion. Yet research shows that one of the best things we can do to remain fitter and healthier for longer isn’t to drop dollars on expensive longevity treatments or supplements; it’s to exercise.

Research shows that those who exercise regularly are less likely to succumb to premature death, and reduce their risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and mental health disorders.

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2 Jun

The average Kiwi retires with $78k in KiwiSaver. For many women, it’s far less

The average Kiwi now has $77,900 in their KiwiSaver account by the time they reach 65 – a figure that still leaves us $469,100 shy of our counterparts in Australia.

According to the latest report from the Retirement Commission, our savings by retirement age are up more than $8,000 than they were a year ago.

Balances are growing across every demographic group, with 90% of Kiwis earning $50,000 or more (the annual minimum wage) now contributing to KiwiSaver.

The average KiwiSaver balance across every age group now sits at $41,286, up from $37,079 a year earlier.

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29 May

King's Birthday 2026: What's open, what's closed and how it's decided who gets honours

Explainer - New Zealand celebrates King Charles' birthday with a public holiday Monday - even though his birthday isn't until November.

Here's what you need to know about what will be open and closed, your employment rights if you are working and why we celebrate the monarch every June, regardless of when their birthday is.

So is the King giving me a day off work?

Pretty much.

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28 May

SuperGold card being upgraded

New Zealand’s seniors will soon be able to use their SuperGold cards as an official form of identification, making it easier for them to access essential services. “Budget 2026 is funding the modernisation of the SuperGold Card to give users the free option to upgrade to a version which they can use as an accepted form of primary identification,” Seniors Minister Casey Costello announced today. “More than 900,000 New Zealanders are aged 65 and over and many do not have legal ID such as a driver licence or passport, which can limit their ability to access things like banking and legal services.” The upgraded card will include a photograph and enhanced security features, and meet standards required by banks and other service providers. It will be available in both physical and digital versions.

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25 May

Topp Twin and comedy icon Jools Topp dies at age 68

Dame Jools Topp has died after living with breast cancer. As one half of the Topp Twins with her sister Lynda, Jools brought joy to generations of New Zealanders. 

One of the country's most loved entertainers, Dame Jools Topp, has died at the age of 68.

She had breast cancer, a disease that she was first diagnosed with in 2006 before it returned in 2021.

Jools died at home on Saturday with her twin sister Lynda, brother Bruce, close friends and "all her fur-babies by her side", a statement from the family confirmed on Monday. A celebration honouring Jools’ life will be announced shortly.

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25 May

How Kiwis are Coping: Pensioners forgoing coffee, meat to keep budgets low

As the cost of living climbs and Trump's war on Iran drives fuel costs sky-high, how are Kiwis coping? What are they doing without? How are they saving money? An RNZ series examines the ways it's impacting different groups.

The increasing cost of living is hurting most, but those on fixed incomes have even less room to move with some forced to forego coffee and meat.

Petrol and oil prices have crept exponentially higher after the war in Iran, while statistics show pharmaceuticals and electricity also keep putting pressure on the wallet.

Pensioners were just one group on fixed incomes struggling to make ends meet.

As a single pensioner living alone - you'd get $555.15 a week.

It's slightly less if that person was living in shared accommodation.

Whereas a couple who were both eligible get $427.04 each a week.

So when bills, insurance, petrol and other expenses add up, something has got to give.

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12 May

Concern raising super age would widen inequality

An Auckland University researcher says raising the superannuation age will increase inequality, especially for Maori and Pasifika. The Director of Auckland University's Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research, Professor Ngaire Kerse, who also works as a GP spoke to John Campbell.

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11 May

Cost-of-living crisis fuelling rise in elder financial abuse, warns Age Concern

Age Concern Auckland said it's seeing a rise in financially motivated elder abuse, due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Chief executive Kevin Lamb said referrals to the organisation involving elder abuse had risen by 20-30 percent over the past year, with a growing proportion linked to money troubles within families.

He said the combination of financial stress and elder abuse was creating an extra burden for vulnerable seniors, particularly as living costs continued to rise.

''We are hearing from older people who are literally panicking... 'Do I turn the heating on, or do I go and buy myself proper decent food for today?'

"Older people are facing a double whammy. They're really seeing this struggle in terms of financial hardship on themselves, but also being more vulnerable to those who would take advantage of them."

Lamb said the problem was driven by financial hardship, with some families struggling to make ends meet and older relatives becoming a source of financial support.

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8 May

'I will not see how planet's story ends' – Sir David Attenborough turns 100

Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday today, with events in New Zealand and in many other countries marking the achievements of the world's most famous naturalist.

Sir David has shown hundreds of millions of people some of the world's rarest creatures and inspired generations through his unique broadcasts about planet Earth.

“I will not see how that story ends but, after a lifetime of exploring our planet, I remain convinced that the more people enjoy and understand the natural world, the greater our hope of saving both it and ourselves becomes," he wrote around the release of his 2025 film Ocean with David Attenborough.


Sir David has released more than 100 documentaries, according to Penguin Books Australia, and continues to produce television series.

Schools, universities, zoos, museums, environment groups, the BBC – where he began his broadcasting career – libraries and New Zealand's Department of Conservation are among the organisations paying tribute to the legendary broadcaster.

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7 May

Free Digital Workshops At Taupō Library Help Locals Stay Safe Online

To view Age concern Aucklands digital workshops check out our whats available on our website.

Taupō residents can build their digital confidence through a series of free digital workshops running every Thursday throughout May at Taupō Library.

The first session, Online Safety in the Digital World, takes place on Thursday 7 May at 10am and focuses on online scams and simple ways to protect yourself online.

The workshops are a collaboration between Taupō Library, Age Concern Taupō and Central Plateau REAP, responding to growing demand for digital safety support in the community.

“We have Tech Assist every Friday for an hour in the library, and the majority of customers who come in for assistance are older,” says Taupō Library team lead operations Tu Biddle.

“While most of their queries are about how to do something on a phone or computer, we are seeing more devices having issues due to updates not being installed, malware from unsecure websites, and free app downloads.”

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4 May

Report warns on ageing population, shrinking workforce, regional risk – The Front Page

The Front Page podcast host:

NZ HeraldAcademics are urging politicians to stop treating demography as background noise and start treating it as core national planning requiring cross-party collaboration.

A new report suggests New Zealand’s rapidly changing demographic make-up has reached a critical point.

Within decades, a quarter of all New Zealanders could be 65 or older – a situation unheard of in our history.

In the 1960s, there were seven people aged 15-64 (those who pay the most tax) for every person over-65. In 2025, it was four to one, and in 2065, it is forecast to be two to one.

At the same time, migration patterns are shifting, cities like Auckland are absorbing most growth, and regional decline is accelerating.

The Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures report argues these trends can no longer be managed as separate issues – we need a national population strategy to link housing, health, infrastructure, and economic policy.

Sir Peter Gluckman and emeritus professor Paul Spoonley co-authored the new report titled People, Place and Prosperity: The Case for a Population Strategy.

“New Zealand now faces a pivotal decision regarding our demographic trajectory,” the report, released today by the Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures, said.

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