Age Concern New Zealand Media Release Ministry of Social Development Positive Ageing Indicators Report 2007

Report sounds good but questions remain

A new report claims that older people are doing well but a number of the findings are open to interpretation, says Age Concern New Zealand.

"We support and endorse the goals of the Positive Ageing Strategy but there have been major gaps in reporting what's ac__tually been achieved since 2001.

"The MSD Positive Ageing Indicators report shows the lot of people aged over 65 is improving in some ways. The statistics are incontrovertible: older people are living longer, owning their own homes and continuing their education.

"But some indicators, such as 'adequate income', 'reasonable living standards', and access to healthcare are open to interpretation. For example, health waiting lists aren't even mentioned.

"Age Concern wasn't even consulted about what the indicators of positive ageing should be.

"We know there are problem areas where more needs to be done. Age Concerns around the country tell us that older people have desperate concerns: income issues, healthcare, loneliness, and elder abuse and neglect.

"Older people have fixed incomes and their cost of living is rocketing. The report says that older people's median income is around $14,000 per year, and real income has stayed flat since 1988. So it's a mystery to us how the report can say most have adequate incomes.

"We have a solution to the paradox: older people come from a generation that is used to putting on a brave face and tightening their belts.

"Age Concern is particularly concerned for the minority identified in the report, particularly older single women, who are facing real hardship.

"The report also doesn't deal with elder abuse and neglect. We can only echo Minister for Senior Citizens Ruth Dyson's briefing which says 'the statistics may not be picking up some unreported issues such as elder abuse and neglect'".

"We say it's about time it became an issue.

"Elder abuse and Neglect Prevention services around the country, most operated by Age Concern, report that every day at least two more people experience abuse and neglect, most at the hands of their own families. However, most operate on a shoestring and parts of the country have no coverage.

"The gap between life expectancy for Maori and non-Maori also concerns us."

"We expect to see the achievements of the Positive Ageing Strategy more clearly in the next report, due in 2012," Ann Martin says.

ENDS

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