Age Concern Auckland

News

Yesterday

How strength training could be the key to healthy ageing

One news: Healthy ageing is about staying independent, maintaining mobility and continuing to enjoy everyday activities as you get older. For many people, what matters most is being able to get out of a chair without help, carry shopping home, climb the stairs and recover quickly after illness.By Christopher Hurst for The ConversationOne of the most important and well-established factors in healthy ageing is muscle strength. Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, leads to reduced physical function and mobility.Over time, muscles become smaller and weaker. This matters because muscle does more than move our limbs: it stabilises joints, supports balance and acts as a reserve during illness or injury.As muscle strength declines, the risk of falls and fractures increases, particularly in later life. Estimates suggest that sarcopenia affects a substantial proportion of older adults, particularly those over the age of 70.

News

Yesterday

'Sliding away': Wairoa seniors forced to leave amid rest‑home closure

This from One News: The Hawke's Bay town of Wairoa currently has no rest home, leaving senior residents needing hospital-level or specialist care with no option but to leave the district – a situation local leaders are calling a crisis.

Age Concern estimates around 100 seniors in the wider Wairoa District qualify for residential care.

The town previously had a rest home operated by Heritage Lifecare, but it closed following damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023. Residents were relocated, and the facility has not reopened.

The closure has left families trying to manage increasingly complex care needs at home.

Tricia Cotton is caring for her 88-year-old father, Koroua, who lives with dementia, while also working full-time.

News

13 Mar

‘Bad news and perfect faces’: Rebecca Gibney calls out youth-obsessed social media

In an endless scroll of filtered, gravity-defying faces, New Zealand actor and TV presenter Rebecca Gibney has fought back in an Instagram post.

“Scrolling thru social media all I see is bad news, AI rubbish or perfect photoshopped lives. Then I came to images of@rachelwardofficial and I breathed a sigh of relief,” the 61-year-old wrote yesterday morning.

“I thought I might add my unfiltered sun damaged face and my funny old cowl lick fringe and fine over processed hair to the mix.”

News

12 Mar

Research suggests difficult people contribute to chronic stress and elevate biomarkers linked to ageing

This from the Hearald: Spending time with a difficult person can impact your mood in the moment. But over time, these challenging social interactions might also have a detrimental effect on your physical health, possibly making you age faster, new research suggests.

The study, which was funded by the National Institute on Ageing and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looked at the health impacts of “hasslers” – people the researchers defined as those “who create problems or make life more difficult”.

While positive relationships have long been linked to healthier, longer lives, hasslers seem to have the opposite effect, increasing chronic stress and elevating epigenetic biomarkers associated with ageing.

News

10 Mar

'Grey washing': SuperGold Card discounts skip entire regions

SuperGold Card holders are finding it difficult to cash-in on weekly supermarket discounts with a mish-mash of locations, leaving some regions missing out entirely with patchy coverage in others.

Age Concern chief executive Kevin Lamb called it an example of "grey washing".

For example, the SuperGold Card was accepted at grocery stores in most central business districts, but not in Gisborne, Marlborough Nelson, Tasman, West Coast districts nor the densely populated Auckland CBD, with a fast-growing resident senior population of more than 2000 people.

"It is portraying themselves as supporting older people, but doing what I would call the bare minimum in order to achieve that," Lamb said.

"If you're going to say that SuperGold Card gets a discount in our stores, why wouldn't you do that for every store? Not just cherry pick a handful of stores around the country and have such a lack of consistency about where those stores are located."

News

5 Mar

History In Making As Governments Draft A Legally Binding Treaty For Rights Of Older Persons

Scoop World brings this story: This is indeed a historic first when governments come together to draft a legally binding possible treaty to protect the human rights of older persons. The first ever historic Inter Governmental Working Group (IGWG) meeting to protect the rights of older persons was held recently. IGWG was created by the UN Human Rights Council in April 2025 and given the mandate to draft a legally binding UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.

News

19 Feb

Changing the NZ Super age won’t fix the country's retirement system problems on its own, panel says at New Zealand Economics For

Interest.co.nz posted this story: Labour leader Chris Hipkins says there’s big questions for us as a country about how we fund superannuation in the long-term, but raising the age of eligibility isn’t one of those questions.

His comment comes after a panel discussion at the New Zealand Economics Forum in Hamilton last week, where the panel spoke about whether the system could keep up, the age of retirement, life expectancy, and potential tweaks and their impacts on the economy and future generations.

Facilitator and former politician Steven Joyce, ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner, Milford Asset Management chief executive Blair Turnbull, Barrister and former politician David Parker, and Aged Care Association chief executive and former politician Tracey Martin made up the panel.

News

17 Feb

‘Couldn’t afford not to’: With no exit at 65 this is the reality of working in your 70s and 80s

Rotorua truckdriver Warwick Pryce could only afford to retire recently - at the grand age of 84 - and that was only possible after a charity came to his rescue.

“My rent is now half what it was, so I was able to give up work. I was sick of being bounced around on a truck every morning.

Pryce is a mechanic, but has spent the last few years working as a truck driver, getting up before sunrise to transport fertiliser from Rotorua to Kawerau and back, every day.

He’d carried on working because he “couldn’t afford not to”.

News

17 Feb

New Zealand emergency rooms: No place for old men (or women)

From the Spinoff: Older people are arriving at hospital emergency departments in greater numbers than ever before, compounding the problems of long wait times and poor health outcomes for those who are frail. Is there a better way? Yes, say two New Zealand hospitals. Is the government listening?

At Waikato Hospital’s emergency department on a Tuesday afternoon, a woman is curled in a foetal position across two stiff-backed hospital chairs designed to be durable and easy to clean, but that are uncomfortable if you are in pain. She moans quietly, then louder, holding her stomach as the spasm peaks. She looks like a woman in labour but is far too old to be giving birth. And this is not a delivery suite.

A man in flannelette pyjamas and a bathrobe sits hunched over in a wheelchair. The young woman with him, who may be his granddaughter, offers him a paper cup of water. She tries to bring the flaps of his pyjama pants together to cover his genitals. He doesn’t seem aware of the exposure.

News

13 Feb

Exercise can be as effective as medication for depression and anxiety – new study

This story by RNZ: Compared to being inactive, aerobic exercise has an especially powerful impact on the symptoms of depression.
Neil Munro, James Dimmock and Klaire Somoray for12 February 20267 min readCaption:The mental health benefits of exercise are comparable to and in some cases better than those of talk therapy and antidepressants, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.Photo credit:Dulcey Lima / Unsplash

Depression and anxiety affect millions of people worldwide.

While treatments such as medication and psychotherapy (sometimes called talk therapy) can be very effective, they're not always an option. Barriers include cost, stigma, long waiting lists for appointments, and potential drug side effects.

News

13 Feb

‘Surviving not living’: Pensioners and beneficiaries hit hardest by inflation in 2025

Shared from Stuff: A pensioner living in rented accommodation in a rural location just south of Auckland told Stuff she is “surviving, not living”.

Paula*, 68, has been retired for three years. She relies entirely on her pension and an accommodation supplement to pay the bills.

Over those three years, keeping up with the cost of living has become noticeably harder, she says.
While New Zealand super rates do keep pace with inflation, any increase to Paula’s pension is counted as extra income by Work and Income. That means every adjustment results in a decrease to her accommodation supplement, she says, so she doesn’t end up with any extra money.

Since Paula retired, inflation has increased by more than 10%. So, in essence, she’s taken a 10% pay cut over that time.

“I feel like [the Government] is giving with one hand and taking away with the other,” she said.

News

5 Feb

Time seems to speed up as we age - can it be slowed down?

From RNZ: When you're a kid, the wait between Christmases or birthdays feels like an eternity. Fast forward a few decades, though, and it seems like barely any time has passed between one year to the next.

The feeling that time speeds up as we age is a thing, says Hinze Hogendoorn, a professor in visual time perception at the Queensland University of Technology.

"When you're young, everything is new and exciting. First day of school, first car, first relationship, first job. There are lots of memorable firsts."

When you're young, before routine sets in, there are a lot of "memorable firsts", says Professor Hinze Hogendoorn.

News

2 Feb

NZ Post cuts services, raising fears for offline older Kiwis – The Front Page

NZ Post is removing services from 142 partner stores this year.

It follows a long line of postal groups around the world scaling back as we enter a new era dominated by tech.

Czech Post closed 300 post office branches, the Greek postal service shut more than 200 last year, UK networks have gone through rolling waves of reductions, and Denmark has ended traditional letter delivery entirely – an end to a 400-year-old service.

Of the 142 stores closing, 29 are in Auckland and 22 are in Christchurch.

“The remaining network of 567 stores will still be significantly larger than any New Zealand supermarket or bank branch network,” NZ Post general manager consumer Sarah Sandoval said.

News

14 Jan

Older people are more vulnerable in heatwaves. Here’s why – and how to stay safe

With the mercury rising across many parts of the country, older people are particularly vulnerable as heat is not only uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous.

For vulnerable people, particularly the elderly, heat is not only uncomfortable but dangerous. High temperatures can worsen existing health problems and in some cases even prove fatal.

So as the mercury climbs, it’s important to understand why some people are more at risk.

News

8 Jan

Are New Zealanders getting lonelier?

From the Spinoff: The ‘loneliness epidemic’ is apparently spreading around the world, but what does it look like here in New Zealand? Rachel Judkins reports.

Summer read – originally published February 12 2025.

It’s a beautiful summer evening in Cornwall Park, with families scattered on the grass and a live band playing a backing track to their laughter. Sprawled on a picnic blanket with her young son, 46-year-old Florence* is trying to soak up the good vibes, but she can’t help feeling a heaviness. She loves doing these fun activities with her boy, but raising him alone is hard work and she craves adult company and longs to be part of a family unit again. Despite being surrounded by people, Florence is feeling lonely.

Ironically, she isn’t alone in her loneliness.

In 2023, a survey by global analytics firm Gallup revealed that 1 in 5 people worldwide said they felt lonely “a lot” during the previous day. In this study, Aotearoa was doing better than our allies Canada, US and the UK; on par with our neighbours Australia; but feeling lonelier than countries like Japan, Finland and Kazakhstan. But no matter where you go on this planet, loneliness is an issue.

News

8 Jan

SummerSeries: The Growing Challenge of Dementia — A Māori Lens on a National Health Issue

This from Waatea News.com:

Dementia is no longer a distant concern for future generations – it is here, growing, and already affecting whānau across Aotearoa. Known in te reo Māori as mate wareware, this condition involves progressive decline in memory and cognition. It affects not just the person living with it, but their whanau, community, and cultural wellbeing.

In New Zealand, recent research shows that dementia is under-recognised, with up to half of those who live with memory problems unaware they have the condition.

News

17 Dec '25

Transport subsidies for elderly and disabled people reduced

The government is cutting transport subsidies for elderly and disabled people for elderly and disabled people from 75 percent to 65 percent.

The Total Mobility scheme provides discounted taxis and public transport fares for those with long-term impairments.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Disability Minister Louise Upston said when the previous Labour government boosted the scheme from a 50 percent subsidy in 2022, it did not account for increased demand.

The number of registered users had increased from 108,000 to 120,000 between 2022 and 2024/25, and the number of trips increased from 1.8 million in 2018 to 3 million in 2024/25.

Bishop said the increased demand now meant the scheme was close to exceeding the funding provided by $236m sometime over the five years to 2030.

"The subsidy is split between the government and public transport authorities - local councils and the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) - and provides an important service for the people who use the scheme," he said.

News

10 Dec '25

No, pensioners aren't getting a Christmas bonus

Superannuitants are being warned not to fall for a scam that claims they're in for a pre-Christmas bonus.

A hoax circulating online claims that people who are on NZ Super are to receive a "one-off December bonus" a few weeks before Christmas.

The payment is alleged to be $350 for single people and $560 for couples, as well as an extra $50 for people in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and $40 for people with disabilities.

The websites seem to be intended to funnel advertising and possibly collect identity details.

The Ministry of Social Development confirmed that the offer was not real.

"We are aware of fake information being targeted at MSD clients and older people about December bonuses, benefit increases, or changes to NZ Super," group general manager of client service delivery Graham Allpress said.

"We want to assure people these claims are not true. If you want up-to-date information on your benefit or NZ Super, check the Work and Income website or MyMSD.

"These posts and websites are created by dishonest actors for dishonest reasons, and are always best avoided."

News

9 Dec '25

Japan is facing a dementia crisis – can technology help?

This from BBC news:

Last year, more than 18,000 older people living with dementia left their homes and went missing in Japan. Almost 500 were later found dead.

Police say such cases have doubled since 2012.

Elderly people aged 65 and over now make up nearly 30% of Japan's population - the second-highest proportion in the world after Monaco, according to the World Bank.

The crisis is further compounded by a shrinking workforce and tight limits on foreign workers coming in to provide care.

Japan's government has identified dementia as one of its most urgent policy challenges, with the Health Ministry estimating that dementia-related health and social care costs will reach 14 trillion yen ($90bn; £67bn) by 2030 - up from nine trillion yen in 2025.

In its most recent strategy, the government has signalled a stronger pivot toward technology to ease the pressure.

News

5 Dec '25

'Just come and be in it' - 87-year-old community theatre director

June Renwick from Auckland's Selwyn Community Arts Theatre still gets "really excited" about seeing people discover their hidden performance talents.

Culture 10128 September 20254 min readCaption:June Renwick (left) with cast members of Selwyn Community Arts Theatre's 2024 production of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.Photo credit:Supplied

When she retired from teaching at Auckland's Selwyn College, June Renwick was determined to "get a community theatre happening". Now she directs and produces shows at the Selwyn Community Arts Theatre (SCAT).

Not only is community theatre a lot of fun, it also encourages diverse connections, Renwick says, not just in nationality, but in age.

"People make lasting friendships, like we're all going for a curry night soon up to Orewa", she tells Culture 101.

News

Stay up to date with the latest news affecting older people in Auckland and across Aotearoa.

How strength training could be the key to healthy ageing

'Sliding away': Wairoa seniors forced to leave amid rest‑home closure

‘Bad news and perfect faces’: Rebecca Gibney calls out youth-obsessed social media

Research suggests difficult people contribute to chronic stress and elevate biomarkers linked to ageing

'Grey washing': SuperGold Card discounts skip entire regions

History In Making As Governments Draft A Legally Binding Treaty For Rights Of Older Persons

Changing the NZ Super age won’t fix the country's retirement system problems on its own, panel says at New Zealand Economics For

‘Couldn’t afford not to’: With no exit at 65 this is the reality of working in your 70s and 80s

New Zealand emergency rooms: No place for old men (or women)

Exercise can be as effective as medication for depression and anxiety – new study

‘Surviving not living’: Pensioners and beneficiaries hit hardest by inflation in 2025

Time seems to speed up as we age - can it be slowed down?

NZ Post cuts services, raising fears for offline older Kiwis – The Front Page

Older people are more vulnerable in heatwaves. Here’s why – and how to stay safe

Are New Zealanders getting lonelier?

SummerSeries: The Growing Challenge of Dementia — A Māori Lens on a National Health Issue

Transport subsidies for elderly and disabled people reduced

No, pensioners aren't getting a Christmas bonus

Japan is facing a dementia crisis – can technology help?

'Just come and be in it' - 87-year-old community theatre director

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