Age Concern New Zealand This Month 45
Number 45: October 2011
This Month
This month our pre-election briefing to Ministers, MPs and political parties was sent out, along with our questions for political candidates. We look forward to hearing how party hopefuls plan to promote the major needs of older New Zealanders.
We were invited to make an application to the Strategic Leadership Institute to be a case study for its course for corporate directors, taking place in Queenstown November 9-10. Our application was accepted.
We have spent time providing information about Age Concern to a case writer. It has involved several team and Board members from national office and Age Concern Wellington and Auckland responding to questions through interview.
We were pleased with the media coverage our Patron’s Award competition received this month. This included an article in The Dominion Post, the Wellingtonian and an interview on Hutt Radio. See more event coverage below.
This month
we also:
• Reminded people who have
their New Zealand Superannuation paid directly into a bank
account to check they are receiving concessions on bank
charges.
• Reminded New Zealand businesses older people
are important consumers.
• Advised older people to seek
advice before disposing of their assets
• Applauded the
Wellington District Health board for dropping telephone
assessments for home help and called on other District
Health Boards to follow suit.
Election 2011
is fast approaching - these are the questions we are asking
candidates.
1. Some older people can’t afford
to go to their GP or to the dentist. What will you do to
make essential health care more affordable?
2.
Elder abuse and neglect can cost older people their
independence, life-savings, health and security. What
will you do to help Age Concern combat elder
abuse?
3. Older people in hospital and in
residential care are not always treated with dignity and
respect. What will you do to promote dignity in
care?
4. Ageist attitudes lead to elder abuse. What will you do to challenge ageism and promote respect for older people?
5. Age Concern’s specialist elder abuse prevention services are stretched to capacity. What will you do to help Age Concern cope with demand for our services? What will you do to help us establish services in areas that do not have one?
6. Loneliness and
social isolation can cost older people their health and
independence, and more than 40,000 older New Zealanders are
severely and chronically lonely. What will you do to help
them stay socially connected?
7. Some older
people can’t afford to eat well or keep warm. What will
you do to help older people in hardship?
8. Older
people want home support that allows them to live safely and
with dignity in their own homes. What will you do to
ensure older people get the home support they
need?
Age Concern New Zealand is thrilled to
announce the winners in this year’s Patrons Award online
photography competition are Phil Reid, of the Dominion Post
and Rebecca Duncan.
The result was
announced at Age Concern’s National Office by Age Concern
Patron Judge Ken Mason.
Judge Mason
described the event as a resounding success.
“Older
people are a significant part of the New Zealand community
and make a valuable contribution to this country. They are
to be admired and respected.”
Age Concern’s National
office was transformed into a gallery as more than 60
competition entries graced the walls – all challenging
negative stereotypes about growing older.
Selected
Members of Parliament, Government staff and other invited
guests voted on a shortlist of ten photographs; five from
the media and five from the public.
The media included
photographers Phil Reid, Alison Brown, Ross Giblin, Chris
Banks and Ben Watson.
The event was a highlight of Age
Concern Awareness Week and part of International Day of
Older Person’s celebrations.
Could you save money by
shopping? Age Concern New Zealand says
‘yes’.
People who have their New
Zealand Superannuation paid directly into a bank account
should check they are receiving concessions on bank charges,
says Age Concern National President Liz Baxendine.
Despite
major retail banks agreeing not to charge fees on accounts
where New Zealand Superannuation is regularly received, this
may not happen automatically.
In some cases this
concession must be applied for, advises Mrs
Baxendine.
“People should make sure they apply and check that they are receiving their entitlement. Be sure to do this when you first go onto Superannuation. Some banks also extend these concessions to overseas pensions. Check that too,” she says.
Will seniors see red, or yellow?
Age Concern New Zealand reminds businesses New
Zealand’s 600,000 older people are important
consumers.
This follows the delivery of Telecom’s
new significantly smaller directories to Wellington homes
last week.
Age Concern New Zealand President Liz
Baxendine said the scaled down page-size could make the book
difficult for older people to read, “this is particularly
unfortunate for older people who are not internet savvy and
rely heavily on the book.”
Mrs Baxendine hopes the
smaller font does not mean older people, many of whom live
on little other than Government Superannuation, rely on
Telecom’s 018 directory.
“Older people count. We form
a significant part of New Zealand’s demographic make-up
and our population is aging. It makes good economic sense
for people marketing products and services to take older
people’s needs into consideration.”
Telecom’s phone
books are produced by Yellow. Age Concern New Zealand
attempted to contact Yellow’s Communications Manager to
question if the smaller sized books will be rolled out
across the country.
Age Concern
New Zealand applauds the Wellington district health board
for dropping telephone assessments of people in need of home
help and calls on other District Health Boards to follow
suit.
Starting December 5, older
clients will be assessed face-to face, as was routine prior
to late last year. Some older people had complained their
home help was cut after a brief phone interview. Age Concern
National President Liz Baxendine was concerned senior
citizens had been reluctant to say how much they relied on
the help.
“Older people can be self-effacing. Phone interviews are not a good way to fully understand a person’s circumstances.” Mrs Baxendine also says older people can be especially private, meaning they do not want to go in to personal health issues with a stranger at the end of a phone.
“Tony Ryall needs to ensure his other DHBs stop using inappropriate phone assessments for over 65-year-olds and that older people who have had their home help cut as the result of a phone interview are able to be reassessed in person,” she says.
Following the
abolition of Gift Duty, Age Concern New Zealand reminds
older to think carefully before disposing of their assets.
Age Concern’s honorary solicitor
Jock Nicolson is concerned older people may be encouraged to
give away too many assets prematurely.
One reason for this could be so that if
they go into care their assets will fall below the threshold
level of personal assets to ensure they are eligible for
state funding of their care.
However, a gifting limit of $6000 per year applies for each of the five years before applying for a residential care subsidy. Gifts in excess of $6000 in each of the five years preceding entry into care are brought back into account in assessing eligibility.
Prior to October 1 an individual could only gift $27,000 each year without incurring gift duty.
Mr Nicolson says he is concerned older people may be influenced by family members or others, into giving away more than they are comfortable with, or is sensible for them.
“Giving away assets prematurely or excessively could lead to an older person losing their independence, which is essential for their well-being.”
He fears older people would be reluctant to ask for money back, should they live longer than they had expected or incur unexpected expenses.
“The last thing older people want to do is to
go along cap in hand and say to the family ‘I need some
financial help’.”
His advice is clear, “if you’re
going to gift property, think carefully about your own needs
and seek proper professional advice before doing
so.”
Gift duty was introduced in 1885 to raise revenue
and discourage people from giving away their assets before
they died. It ran in tandem with death duty which has since
been abolished.
Government cited high administration
costs as a key reason for changing the legislation.
ENDS