Positive Ageing in Horowhenua
Friday, 23 July 2010
Horowhenua has a higher proportion of golden oldies per capita than most other regions around New Zealand and Council recently adopted a Positive Ageing Strategy to ensure we meet the changing and growing needs of our older community members. Horowhenua District Council is one of just a handful of local authorities to have developed a strategy on positive ageing.
The 2006 census results showed that 20 per cent of people in Horowhenua District are aged 65 and over compared with 12.3 per cent of the total New Zealand population. This 20 per cent is projected to grow to 27.3 per cent of the population by 2021, which is higher than the national figure of 18 per cent. There are over 900 frail elderly (over 85 years) in our community. By 2025 that number will double. There’s a responsibility for central and local government, as well as community organisations to respond to the needs of our ageing population as we learn what these statistics really mean for our community.
Margaret Robins, Community Advocate for Health, says the adoption of the Positive Ageing Strategy is a great first step towards addressing the four key areas of concern for our elderly: attitude, availability, accessibility and affordability.
Lew Rohloff, representing Grey Power also commended the Council on its forwardthinking strategy.
“The ten tenets listed in the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy were set by Government and underpin what Grey Power is trying to do throughout New Zealand. In adopting the Positive Ageing Strategy, Horowhenua District Council has led the way as one of the few councils around the country to have taken the initiative to positively address issues for the elderly,” he said.
Council’s Community Development Manager Monique Franks conducted extensive consultation and conversation to produce the Positive Ageing Strategy and Implementation Plan 2010 - 2013. In an effort to ascertain what services already existed in our communities, Monique embarked on a services mapping exercise to provide a platform to build on. The findings show we’re already doing a lot of things well and need to build on our strengths.
Our Health Shuttle to medical related appointments in Palmerston North is well used. Library services for the elderly in Horowhenua are well provisioned, our elderly housing projects are popular and well serviced; our bi-monthly Elderberries magazine for the over 50s keeps locals informed of activities, meetings and events as well as entertaining and informing and we have launched a contacts website for the elderly www.athomecare.co.nz.
Priorities which the ageing strategy will address include isolation, mobility, access to recreational activities, access to information, transport, access to health facilities as well as opportunities for work, education and training, support for the vulnerable and succession plans for community volunteers.
Our positive ageing strategy gives us a structure on which to share resources and progress ideas and plan for the future.