Needs of ageing Māori are diverse

NEWS RELEASE

20 April 2011

Needs of ageing Māori are diverse

There is no one size fits all model of care when it comes to supporting older Māori, according to the director of Massey University's Research Centre for Māori Health and Development, Chris Cunningham.

Speaking at Age Concern’s recent conference, Professor Cunningham says the needs of ageing Māori are diverse and will affect the level of care they will need when they reach retirement age.

“The changing nature of older Māori needs to be considered by organisations which provide care for the elderly.”

A minority of Māori men live long enough to reach the age of eligibility for superannuation.

He says “many Māori have planned on the continued government provision of superannuation, which means they may be financially less well off in retirement and less able to afford quality heath care, for example.”

Professor Cunningham’s research has shown there is a high degree of social financial support made by older Māori to whānau, churches and maraes.

“Questions remain as to whether government superannuation and health services will be enough to provide for older Māori and how this will be reflected in the level of state-funded services that older Māori will require.

“Some Māori sub-groups will be better positioned than others to fend for themselves.”

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