Ageing population requires new health focus

Health service provision for older people must change significantly to meet the demands of New Zealand's ageing population, Associate Health Minister Ruth Dyson said today.

Releasing the draft Health of Older People Strategy in Christchurch, Ms Dyson said New Zealand, like most other countries in the world, has a population that is getting older.

"By 2010, about 13 percent of New Zealanders will be aged 65 and over, and by the middle of the century, that proportion is expected to rise to 25 percent.

"We need to start planning now, so that the structures and funding are in place to meet the needs of current and future generations of older people."

Ms Dyson said some changes needed to occur immediately.

"We need better coordination of health and support services around the needs of older people, a greater emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention, and more emphasis on community-level health care and support so that people can continue to stay in their own homes as they get older."

"We also need to plan for culturally appropriate services to meet the needs of rapidly increasing numbers of older Maori and Pacific people from 2010."

Ms Dyson said the draft strategy provided a much-needed policy framework for the health care of older people, and was in line with National Health Committee recommendations which had been ignored by the previous government.

"The draft strategy sets out a demanding work programme for planners, funders and providers of aged health care to develop services over the next 10 years that are better coordinated, easier to understand and simpler to access."

Underlying the changes, Ruth Dyson said, was the principle of 'integrated continuum of care'.

"Integrated continuum of care enables an older person to move smoothly from one service to another – and sometimes back again - as their needs change over time. It requires close links between the older person, their families and carers, and health professionals in all services."

Ms Dyson said Northland and Canterbury District Health Boards had been chosen as two lead providers to develop the continuum of care model.

"By 2010, we want health services and programmes in place that promote the wellbeing of older people, their control over their lives, and their ability to participate in - and contribute to - social, family, whanau and community life."

A number of public meetings will be held around the country to discuss the draft Health of Older People Strategy (see timetable attached). Written submissions close on 9 November. The final strategy will be released early in 2002, and implementation will be completed by 2010.

Copies of the draft Health of Older People Strategy, which includes a guide to making a submission, are available from the Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013, Wellington or on the website: www.moh.govt.nz