Abuse of older people symposium, MSD consulting on long-term insights briefing, and International Day of Older Persons
Tue 15 Oct 2024
The NZFVC and MSD co-hosted a one-day symposium to bring together specialists, researchers and policymakers working to address the abuse of older people.
Abuse of older people symposium
The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse and the Ministry of Social Development | Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora co-hosted a one-day symposium to bring together specialists, researchers and policymakers working to address the abuse of older people. This event was held on 3 September 2024 at the University of Auckland | Waipapa Taumata Rau in Auckland. The symposium featured speaker panels and workshop discussions that explored the critical gaps in our understanding of and response to abuse of older people in Aotearoa.
The speaker panels and workshops addressed 4 themes:
- Understanding and measuring abuse of older people
- Inequities and intersectional identities
- Reflections from practice on barriers and challenges
- Aspirations for wellbeing and hauora.
Speakers shared insights from their work, providing a starting point to spark conversation, broaden thinking and create opportunities for collaboration. Videos and slides from these short presentations are available on our website.
MSD consulting on 2025 long-term insights briefing
The Ministry of Social Development | Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora is currently consulting on the topic of its next Long-term Insights Briefing. The proposed topic is Current and future disadvantage for older New Zealanders.
MSD states that it has proposed the topic on the basis of evidence that suggests disadvantage for older people has the potential to become an issue of increasing significance for New Zealand, due to a combination of demographic changes, social and economic trends, and public finance constraints.
All feedback is due by 25 October 2024.
MSD would like to better understand these kinds of issues for New Zealand's ageing population and their implications for policies and services.
More information on Long Term Insights Briefings can be found at the DPMC website.
International Day of Older Persons
The International Day of Older Persons was observed on the 1st of October. The theme for 2024 is "Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide".
In a press release to mark the day, Chief Executive of Age Concern New Zealand Karen Billings-Jensen stated that:
"Ageing with dignity is a fundamental right, and supporting that means having care and support service options that allow older people to thrive. Our mission is to advocate for respect, care, and support for older New Zealanders, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs met."
The UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Claudia Mahler, marked the day with a call for urgent global action to safeguard the rights of older persons in the face of an ageing world population. She highlighted the persistence of ageism and discrimination as crucial barriers for older persons’ access to essential services, and their full participation in society:
"During my recent country visits, I have witnessed how ageism continues to impede older persons' rights," the Independent Expert said. "For those experiencing multiple forms of discrimination, such as older women, LGBTIQ+ persons, migrants, persons with disabilities and those belonging to minorities and Indigenous Peoples, these challenges are even more pronounced."
2021 – 2030 is also the Decade of Healthy Ageing. The decade has four action areas:
- Combatting ageism – changing how we think, feel and act towards ageing
- Creating age-friendly environments – enabling older people to participate in and contribute to their communities and society
- Providing integrated care – delivering integrated care and primary health services that are responsive to the needs of the individual
- Ensuring access to long-term care – providing access to long-term care for older people who need it.
You can find out more about work being undertaken to advance these action areas in Aotearoa on the Office for Seniors | Te Tari Kaumātua website. To get involved see the Community Conversations Facebook page from the Selwyn Foundation, an initiative of the Aotearoa New Zealand National Forum for the Decade of Health Ageing. Learn more about the Aotearoa National Forum in this RNZ interview with Denise Cosgrove, Selwyn Foundation Chief Executive.
Related Research
In 2022, the Office for Seniors provided eleven one-off grants of up to $25,000 for initiatives aiming to prevent the abuse of older people through the Elder Abuse Prevention Fund.
The Ministry of Social Development subsequently commissioned a review to explore the learning and insights from initiatives that received funding. The report, Gathering insights from the Elder Abuse Prevention Fund: a learning and insights review prepared for the Office for Seniors (2024), shares practice-based insights and information to enhance understanding of the scale, prevalence, and nature of the abuse of older people in New Zealand. The project involved a review of relevant documentation and nine semi-structured interviews with staff involved in the planning and implementation of the funded initiatives.
