Community

Before I began to write this article, I had just come off the phone with a woman who was concerned for her mother-in-law. After visiting her mother-in-law over the holiday period so that she could meet her new grandchild, her mother-in-law had been calling her multiple times every day since …

It is rare that you would be able to get a job these days without having any prior experience. It is odd to think then that the most ‘experienced’ worker’s in our society find it difficult to get a job. The current job market just does not support older adults …

Ageism is alive and well and is reaffirmed through all forms of media. However, there is a movement against this from ‘within the ranks.’ Last year we saw many actors and actresses speak out against ageism in Hollywood. Actress Jane Fonda said something that I believe is very true – …

Gambling addiction among the elderly is growing nationwide. These stories remain largely unreported even though 8% of older adults develop an addiction that can cost them their retirement funds. The Ministry of Health defines problem gambling as “patterns of gambling behaviour that compromise, disrupt or damage health, personal, family or …

Immigration is always a hot topic for debate. Politicians especially seem to love throwing pot shots at each other in the debating chamber about who’s to blame for “letting migrants take our jobs”. Historically, the debate has tended to focus on migrant workers, however in more recent years policy changes …

Superannuation has been a hot topic over the past few years. In 2014, there were 650,000 over-65s in New Zealand, equating to 14.4 per cent of the population. By 2038, the number of over-65s is projected to almost double to 1.29 million and make up almost 23.3 per cent of …

Christmas is a time that many choose to give back. Money, food, toys and other items are all donated at levels not seen throughout the rest of the year. These concrete things are very important, but so is donating our time. This message is especially important as Monday was World …

It is December! The silly season has officially arrived and the countdown is definately on to Christmas. For many, Christmas is a time to catch up with family and friends. However, that is sometimes a difficult thing to do as family and friends move towns and cities, and sometimes even …

Over the last few weeks there has been some pretty important information released that concerns the elderly community. Statistics New Zealand has found that the elderly and beneficiaries have been hardest hit by inflation. Superannuitants’ costs increased 19 percent over the past eight years. That’s double the rate of inflation experienced …

Over the past few weeks I have been conducting research into community groups that engage with older people in rural settings – getting to know what they do and what works for them and what does not. A lot of these groups organise some really fun activities, go for trips …