Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust

Shanti Niwas Seniors Centre, Onehunga, Auckland

Namaste, As-Salamu Alaykum, Sat Sri Akal, Kia ora and good morning.

Thank you for inviting me here to join in your celebration of International Day of Older Persons and to launch your elder abuse and neglect prevention programme KHUSHI – Kind Heal Unite Support Humble Inspire.

I understand KHUSHI stands for happiness and that's something we are all entitled to.

I'd like to acknowledge the trustees, staff, volunteers and friends of Shanti Niwas for their work in bringing this event together and for their valuable work in the community. Welcome to MPs Kulwanjit Singh Bakshi, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, and the Hon Phil Goff.

This event is one of many happening around the country to celebrate older people and recognise the importance of our seniors to the community.

What is great about this event is that you've made it a family affair, with activities for the young and the not so young. I know that Shanti Niwas is keen to develop more intergenerational programmes and this is certainly a positive start.

Shanti Niwas

Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust plays an important role in providing social and community support services for older people from India and South East Asia.

You want to ‘create opportunities for graceful ageing' which is such a delightful way of expressing how we would all like to grow older – in a culture where we are valued, respected and recognised as integral parts of families and communities.

Starting out as a support group in 1994, Shanti Niwas has grown to take on the challenge of addressing social isolation in this community. Older Indian people who have come from all over the world to settle in New Zealand are sometimes faced with language and cultural barriers that create feelings of exclusion and isolation. You provide much needed support and assistance to those facing these barriers. This kind of responsive and practical approach to the problems faced by older Indian people will go a long way towards combating social isolation in your community.

The Health and Ageing Research Team at Massey University report that the more often people take part in volunteer activities and work in their communities, the higher their happiness. I think we need to find ways like this to harness older people's energies, skills and talents, both for their own wellbeing and as a powerful source of support for the community. Organisations like yours provide support as well as opportunities to volunteer and be involved.

Social isolation

As our population ages, it becomes more apparent that with good health and active lifestyles, people are not ‘old' at 65. But some older people experience a sense of isolation that affects their wellbeing.

Addressing social isolation is one of my key priorities across my portfolios of senior citizens, community and voluntary sector, women's affairs, and health.

We are keeping older people connected to their community and young people are getting the chance to learn and grow with the benefit of a lifetime of experience.

I understand that Shanti Niwas is interested in developing some intergenerational initiatives. I'm sure that the children and young people at the local kindergartens, schools and even universities would welcome the chance to share your cultural insights and experiences and learn some of your practical skills – I hope this is something you can make happen.

Elder abuse and neglect prevention

Unfortunately social isolation can also mask the effects of elder abuse and neglect. When an older person is not connected to their community they become more vulnerable and can have no one to turn to for support.

Elder abuse is often under-reported, and this is particularly the case in some Indian and South East Asian communities. People don't want to speak out against their families or carers. Or they don't have the language skills or knowledge to find help.

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to launch KHUSHI. This new initiative will provide a range of services to address elder abuse and neglect hidden in Indian and South Asian communities. Collaborating with other organisations and programmes, such as the Settling In programme for migrants, the Police, the Ministry of Social Development and other professionals in the community to help older people who are at risk of abuse sends a united message, raises awareness and advises how and where to get help.

I believe that we must work together across agencies and sectors to empower and support older people, and to protect them from abuse.

There are a number of organisations in the Auckland region that provide elder abuse and neglect prevention services. These services include providing support, information and advice to older people and their families. The organisations also play a hugely important role in raising awareness of elder abuse and providing information about what to do if you see it happening.

Campaigns like the It's Not OK programme are also doing valuable work in increasing the awareness of abuse of young and old alike.

Volunteer Community Co-ordinators

The Office for Senior Citizens has established a network of older volunteers throughout the country – the Volunteer Community Co-ordinators (VCCs) – to carry out projects that contribute to the development of policies and services for older people.

The VCCs are a diverse group and the beauty of them is that they have access to local networks. Your own Nilima Venkat is a VCC for Auckland.

Nilima has been part of the programme since 2006 and I know she is passionate about working with older Indian people with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. With your support and that of other older people and community organisations, Nilima and her fellow VCCs are helping to make a positive difference to attitudes about ageing.

Conclusion

International Day of Older Persons gives us all a chance to appreciate and celebrate the older people in our lives. I commend you on using this opportunity to launch KHUSHI. I am sure that this initiative will continue to grow while ensuring the well-being of the Shanti Niwas community.

I'd like to thank everyone here for your work to make this wonderful event happen and wish you all a fun and successful day.