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| Welcome to the August 2023 issue of the Seniors Newsletter |
| In this issue we chat with Paul Hunt, the Chief Human Rights Commissioner on what the human right to a decent home actually means. We hear about the sport of Pickleball, look at the signs and symptoms of gout arthritis, ways to keep an eye out on scams and recognise the unique achievements of those in the King’s Birthday Honours. |
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| From Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen |
 Last month we recognised World Elder Abuse Awareness day. We know that elder abuse is very often hidden, going unnoticed and under reported. Older people being abused often face barriers to seeking help, making it incredibly important to ensure those around them know how to identify abuse, and where to get help.
The Office for Seniors led an awareness campaign targeting people who witness or suspect elder abuse, encouraging them to call it out when they see it and contact the EARS helpline if they have concerns.
The campaign aimed to educate the public about services but also helps destigmatise the issue, encouraging people to understand the signs of abuse and empowering them to take action, whether for themselves or someone they know.
The campaign has been very successful, and the Office also developed new videos and short publications on the poorly understood topics of neglect and psychological abuse.
I want to thank the Office for Seniors for their hard work towards bringing this campaign together.
Supporting people who wish to continue working over 65 has been given a boost with the decision to open Flexi-wage up to older people.
This is a wage subsidy programme to support employers to take on someone who is considered disadvantaged in the labour market such as being over 65. It also comes with access to in-work support and training.
The decision to open Flexi-wage up to people over 65 meets the Better Later Life Action Plan |He Mahere Hohenga goal of considering employment eligibility for people over the age of 65.
It also supports the implementation of the Older Worker Employment Action Plan to consider the needs of older workers to find and stay in work.
There’s more information here: Flexi-wage – job seeker information.
An increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme will help ensure that approximately 100,000 low-income homeowners are able to pay their local council rates this coming financial year.
The maximum rebate will increase from $700 to $750, and the income abatement threshold will rise from $28,080 to $30,100. These adjustments match the 7.2 percent rise of inflation of the 2022 calendar year.
The Rates Rebate Scheme is a partial refund for people who pay rates to their council. It exists to provide financial relief for low-income New Zealanders owning their own home, including those living in retirement villages. If you are eligible make sure that you get your application into your local council.
I hope you enjoyed Matariki with your loved ones and are keeping warm.
Ginny Andersen
Minister for Seniors
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| A decent home |
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By Paul Hunt, Chief Human Rights Commissioner
Seniors and kaumātua, like everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand, have the fundamental human right to a decent home. A decent home is affordable, habitable, culturally appropriate, accessible and has the necessary services we need. It should be a place where we can comfortably grow old, without worrying that our living conditions are negatively impacting our health. As we age, our homes should be able to meet our changing needs.
Yet we are aware that many seniors are faced with the challenge of unaffordable housing or living conditions detrimental to their health.
Over the past two years, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission has undertaken a housing inquiry, because the housing crisis is a human rights crisis.
The inquiry sought to highlight the right to a decent home, as a right that belongs to all New Zealanders, and in our country that must be considered in the context of te Tiriti o Waitangi.
That means as part of the right to a decent home, tangata whenua must be resourced to exercise tino rangatiratanga and develop housing solutions that are appropriate for whānau Māori.
The inquiry has laid the foundations for government to meet their promises and obligations to deliver on the right to a decent home. Our work includes guidelines that explain the key features and measurable outcomes of the human rights approach to housing.
One area where we must urgently do better is in building accessible homes. Given New Zealand’s ageing population, with the population aged 65 and over expected to increase from 793,000 (16 percent of the population) in 2020 to around 2 million people in 2073 (28 percent of the population), physically accessible housing is a crucial issue to tackle.
Despite the Government's increased investment in housing, it is taking a limited approach to building accessible homes, with just 15 percent of new builds including accessible design. It has yet to reach anywhere near that figure.
According to the 2013 Disability Survey, around 24 percent of the population reported having disabilities. As age increases, the likelihood of having disabilities also rises. For individuals aged 65 or older, the percentage of people with disabilities is significantly higher at 59 percent, compared to 21 percent among adults under 65 years old.
Unfortunately, our knowledge about the level of accessibility in our housing stock for individuals with physical disabilities is limited.
Our most recent information comes from the New Zealand Disability Survey conducted in 2013. It revealed that one in six people with a physical impairment had an unmet need for home modifications that could improve their living conditions.
This situation is alarming, and we must prioritise accessible housing as a standard feature in all new developments. Universal design principles support people to age in place and stay in their communities. We need a long-term approach to build accessible homes. Adopting housing strategies based on human rights can facilitate this crucial endeavour.
Human rights are important because they empower people to hold government to account for fulfilling its obligations. Our housing inquiry represents a step in that direction, but it is essential for everyone to contribute to promoting the right to a decent home here in Aotearoa.
A decent home is fundamental to living a dignified life.
Visit below for more information
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| Age friendly fund open |
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The 2023 funding round for the Office for Seniors’ Age friendly Fund is now open.
The Age friendly Fund supports projects that promote the inclusion and contribution of older people in community life and support their community to prepare for an ageing population.
Grants can be applied for to start development of local age friendly plan or to implement a new project in support of an age friendly plan.
The programme makes one-off grants of between $5,000 - $15,000 to a select number of new projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to age friendly communities or support intergenerational connection and participation.
The Age friendly Fund is open to any New Zealand local council, community organisation, or registered non-profit organisation. All proposals must be supported by their local council.
Applications for the 2023 funding round are open from August 1 and close on September 24 2023.
For more information, including eligibility criteria, go to the Office for Seniors website below. |
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| Change to residence criteria for NZ Super and Veteran's Pension |
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The residence criteria for NZ Super and Veteran’s Pension will change in July 2024. The minimum number of years people must have been resident and present in New Zealand will be gradually increasing from 10 years to 20 years. This gradual increase is taking place from July 2024 to 2042.
If you’re already getting NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension, you won’t be affected by this change.
If you have family or friends who have lived overseas or are planning to move abroad, it’s important they understand the change to residence criteria.
For New Zealanders living overseas, this could mean changing their plans to make sure they’re eligible for NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension when they turn 65.
While the change isn’t coming into effect straight away, we’re raising awareness to help people plan for their future.
For more information, visit the Work and Income website below. |
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| Changes to prescription fees |
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By now you’ll probably know the Government announced the $5.00 co-payment for fully subsidised prescription items from public health providers (including public specialists) was removed from 1 July 2023. They announced this change as part of Budget 2023.
This change means you may pay less for your medication, so people getting Disability Allowance, Temporary Additional Support or Special Benefit may see their costs change.
If you’re getting Disability Allowance, Temporary Additional Support or Special Benefit, you’ll likely pay less for your medication, so your entitlement may also change. So if you have a reduction in prescription costs, you may have a reduction in your Disability Allowance entitlement
You can find out more below: |
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| Should people with Gout avoid foods high in purines? |
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The simple answer is that not all purines are equal. It’s not that helpful to avoid all foods with purines as some behave differently than others. Avoiding foods high in purines to reduce the risk of gout arthritis attacks isn’t entirely necessary. In fact, food and drink make very little difference to your uric acid levels.
What are purines?
Purines are a class of molecules with two rings and are made up of bases like adenine, guanine (like in DNA and RNA), hypoxanthine, and xanthine. Scientists found that the type of purine and the amount of purines in a food should be taken into consideration in diet therapy for Gout Arthritis.
Around two-thirds of purines are made by the body from the normal process of dying and renewing cells. Around one-third are from external sources of food and drink. When the body breaks down purines, uric acid is formed, which is normally re-absorbed in the body or excreted in urine and faeces.
A person’s uric acid level is due to a few factors; genetics, kidney function and being overweight are the biggest contributors. Food and drink consumed only contribute to around 10% of your uric acid level, so diet alone isn’t going to help you manage your gout arthritis.
You can’t change your genes, so you may have to take uric acid-lowering medication if you have high levels in your blood. Māori and Pacific people are more likely to have genes that reduce the ability of the kidneys to get rid of uric acid, resulting in high uric acid levels in the blood (serum).
If high uric acid levels are untreated, it can lead to permanent damage to your joints and kidneys, putting you at risk for heart disease, kidney disease, and metabolic syndrome. If you have someone in your family who has gout or you are Māori or Pacific, it’s a good idea to ask your doctor about a blood test to check your uric acid levels, and you may need to start taking medication. Even when there is no pain, the high levels in the blood cause damage.
Consider foods that cause a painful flare when you eat them. Keep a diary of when you have a flare, and note what you ate and drank before the flare. You may notice a pattern and be able to identify your trigger. There are some common gout flare-triggers; these are:
- Alcohol, particularly beer
- Sugary food and drink
- Liver
- Meat
- Some seafood
People with Gout Arthritis can continue to eat purine-rich food in small to moderate amounts. People who take uric acid-lowering medication such as Allopurinol or Febuxostat can usually enjoy a balanced diet that includes a small amount of purine-rich foods.
To learn more about what purines are, visit the link below. |
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| Pickleball - the new kid in town |
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Pickleball is the latest sport to arrive in Aotearoa. A combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is played on a badminton doubles court using paddles and a hollow plastic ball.
The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.
There are now more than 8.9 million pickleball players in the USA and popularity continues to grow. New Zealand is just starting to experience this trend, with a few tennis clubs recognising the value of catering to pickleball players.
One of the most recent conversions is at Kerikeri Tennis Club, which now has eight pickleball courts.
The conversion of tennis courts to pickleball courts is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Tennis courts that are underutilised can be repurposed for pickleball.
The courts are smaller which means they take up less space, and can accommodate more players; every standard-size tennis court can be repurposed into four pickleball courts. Additionally, pickleball is an easy sport to learn, which makes it accessible to people of all ages and skill levels.
You can visit the Pickleball NZ association website below. |
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| The art of weaving |
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One of our successful recipients of the Age friendly fund is Atamu EFKS Porirua Incorporated (Atamu). Atamu regularly receive requests from local people for programmes that they would like to see in their communities. A request recieved was from a group of older people who wanted to revive the Samoan customary practice where women in the village would gather in a fale (Samoan house) to weave fine mats together.
The art of weaving is a dying tradition that many younger members of the community are not exposed to. Many elders who are skilled in the art have not had the opportunity to weave mats since moving to New Zealand. Lalaga Fa’atasi brings back an activity which was once common among Pacific communities. Fale Lalaga (weaving houses) used to be frequented by people (mainly women) and is where measina/taonga are created. Fine mats are woven over a long period of time by many hands.
“We view our elders as the holders of mana and wisdom, and this programme places the elders at its core. Their advice and guidance sustains the integrity of the programme while offering cultural authenticity.” Eirenei Vailaau-Ah Kuoi, CEO, Atamu
The programme created opportunities for older people to participate in intergenerational activities while encouraging social inclusion and addressing loneliness and isolation. Older people can share skills and knowledge in a safe and familiar community setting.
Retaining the Pacific cultural art of weaving and creating long term relationships between people of all ages are just some of the long-term benefits of the programme.
To learn more about the other successful projects visit the link below. |
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In 2022, the Office for Seniors provided funding to 11 organisations to focus on the violence prevention needs in their communities. The funding was provided by our partners at Te Puna Aonui. With the projects coming towards the end, we are beginning to see some great outcomes.
For example, Porirua Kapiti Community Law provided 100 free Enduring Powers of Attorney to low-income communities in Porirua. These are important arrangements to put in place, as they determine who can make decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity. Porirua Kapiti Community Law did this work through awareness raising, workshops and providing kai. They also helped some people with applications for welfare guardianship. It’s an important reminder for us all to make sure we have these important documents in place. You can do this by contacting your lawyer, getting advice from your local Community Law or through Public Trust.
Other projects funded through the Elder Abuse Prevention Fund included research into the experiences of takatāpui and rainbow communities, improving detection of elder abuse, creating safety plans for kaumātua and service navigation and intensive support for older people living in challenging circumstances. Each project has made an important contribution to our understanding of preventing elder abuse. We value and appreciate the contribution of all those involved.
This year, we have partnered with the Social Action team at the Ministry of Social Development to offer funding extensions for projects that demonstrated results, learning and impact. We look forward to seeing what more the successful organisations can achieve with an additional year of funding.
If you have concerns about how you, or someone you know, is being treated, help is available. It’s free, and available 24 hours a day. Freephone: 0800 32 668 65 Text: 5032 Email: support@elderabuse.nz |
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| King's Birthday Honours |
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The King’s Birthday Honours recognise the unique achievements of New Zealanders from all walks of life. Those who were honoured this year include five people who have made significant contributions to older people.
Mrs Marcia Te-Au Thomson of Invercargill, Karen McClintock of Timaru and Stella Cattle of Auckland received Queen Services Medals for services to community, seniors, and Māori health.
Dr Ofanaite Dewes of Auckland has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Health and the Pacific community.
Dr William Edwards (Taranaki, Ngāruahine, Tāngahoe, Pakakohi, Ngāti Ruanui) has been appointed as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to Māori health. Dr Edwards has been an advocate for positive ageing for older people, in particular for Māori, and a Māori community development leader spanning more than two decades.
Dr Edwards has been Chair of the Ageing Well National Science Challenge (AWNSC) since 2020, a Director of Māori health and social services provider Tui Ora Limited and a lifelong contributor to marae, hapū, iwi and wider community development. He is a co-chair for the Taranaki Regional Skills Leadership Group.
He has been an iwi chair for Ngāruahine Iwi, a trustee of Te Rau Pani Māori mental health trust and a community representative on the Te Tai Hauāuru Regional Leadership Group for Whānau Ora.
His doctoral research was one of the first academic works to articulate positive ageing from a Māori viewpoint, highlighting the need to recognise secure cultural identity as a measure of positive ageing and the importance of a life-course approach.
His research over many years has been influential in policy and service delivery, particularly for Māori. As a member of the Māori Health Committee of the Health Research Council of New Zealand, he has helped shape Māori health research strategy and contributed to the revision of Rangahau Māori Funds.
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| Online scams to be aware of |
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Cold-calling
While not technically an online scam, cold-calling is still one of the most reported. Cold callers contact you on your home phone. They may be trying to sell you a fake product or service , or pretending to be from a legitimate organisation or a government agency.
They try to get payment or personal details from you and have various tactics to do this. Scammers may claim that you have a refund or payment due to you (e.g. tax refunds from IRD), you have an invoice or bill you need to pay, or that there is a problem with your visa or employment.
To find out more about how cold-calling works, what to do if you have been contacted and the information you need to protect yourself visit cold-call scams
Tech support scams
Netsafe receives thousands of reports from across New Zealand of people being called by scammers offering to help with a supposedly slow or infected computer. These scammers use the names of familiar brands such as Microsoft, Spark, Vodafone and Chorus so that people are more likely to let their guard down. They will often attempt to get ‘remote access’ to your device so they can access your computer or network from another location.
To find out more about the scammers’ tactics, how remote access works and what to do if you’ve given a scammer remote access, check out more information on tech support scams.
Email phishing
Phishing is when a scammer contacts a large number of people to try and get personal information, such as bank account numbers and passwords, so they can use it to impersonate and defraud people
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Phishing scammers will often claim to be from a legitimate organisation, or to have some kind of ‘deal’ to be claimed.For example, sending out an email telling people they have won a lottery, but to claim the winnings they need to provide some details. Other phishing scams use scare tactics, where the scammers pretend to be lawyers or employees of the government and threaten legal action if you don’t give them information or money.
To learn more about how phishing scams work, the different types out there and what you can do to protect yourself, see more on email phishing scams. |
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| Rates Rebate Scheme |
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The Rates Rebate Scheme is a partial refund for people who pay rates to their council. It exists to provide financial relief for low-income New Zealanders owning their own home, including those living in retirement villages.
Over 100,000 successful applications were paid out in 2022/2023.
The maximum rebate will increase from $700 to $750, and the income abatement threshold will rise from $28,080 to $30,100. These adjustments match the 7.2 percent rise of inflation of the 2022 calendar year.
If you have any questions about your eligibility or that of a family member get in touch with your local council or retirement village operator.
You can use the Rates Rebate calculator to work out what you might get as a rates rebate below. |
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Ministry of Social Development
56 The Terrace, Wellington 6011, New Zealand |
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