Current New Zealand Situation

"Ageing is a dynamic and ongoing process that is part of the normal life course. Responsive health and support services that respect and value older people are a key factor in enabling older people to continue active lives and contribute their skills and knowledge to their family and communities."

The HOPE Foundation identifies with the NZ Government emphases as stated in The Health of Older People Strategy, the Government action plan to 2010 to support positive ageing.

The Government Strategy defines Positive Ageing thus:-

"This concept embraces a number of factors, including health, financial security, independence, self-fulfilment, community attitudes, personal safety and security, and the physical environment. Positive ageing means that older age is both viewed and experienced positively, and includes changing attitudes and expectations amongst younger generations regarding ageing and older people".

The Foundation, through its Scholarship programme at the University of Auckland, Waikato University, Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University and the University of Otago, is actively generating and funding New Zealand based research into ageing. It does not limit its research to health issues but, recognizing with the Government that positive ageing includes many factors, is prepared to sponsor research and enquiry in a wide range of disciplines.

The Government's priority areas for research in the health of older people are:-

• Development and evaluation of interventions to promote the health and wellbeing of older people. This includes health promotion; injury and disease prevention; mental health; treatment; and home-based, residential and environmental disability support services
  
• Development and evaluation of rehabilitation initiatives
  
• Assessing the effectiveness of health interventions to reduce and delay onset of disease and disability amongst older people
  
• Projecting future trends in caregiving to and by older people
  
• Assessing the effectiveness of service provision, in particular the effectiveness of different mixes of services and what works best to adequately support older people to remain in their own homes. Particular areas of work and development of outcome measures and evaluation of early interventions for dementia.
  
• Documenting and assessing issues of staffing, skill mix, training opportunities and working conditions of the health sector workforce

To these the Foundation would add that quality housing, adequate income, good nutrition, access to public transport, a safe environment, access to an appropriate range of social services and efficient communications technology are all necessary for good health in the widest sense. What the standards, costs and availability of these should be are all matters requiring investigation.

The strategy document states that Universities in New Zealand are gradually developing a body of graduate student research, that a research workforce is slowly emerging; and that these efforts need to be brought together to provide a focus for furthering research on ageing, for co-ordinating that research and disseminating research findings throughout New Zealand.

This observation is in line with the HOPE Foundation's objectives of encouraging and supporting multi-disciplinary innovative academic research and disseminating the results to the community and policy makers within New Zealand. Through its support of graduate research throughout the country, and undergraduate Summer Research Studentships in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, a core group of researchers is being developed that hopefully will continue to focus on the needs of current and future generations of older New Zealanders.

It is patently obvious that the Government does not have the resources to fund all of the research that is needed now and will continue to be needed in future, hence the rationale for the HOPE Foundation as a private, non-government funded initiative.

Support the Foundation and enhance your own old age or that of a member of your family!

Find out more about Donations, Gifts and Sponsorships

Gifts can be sent to PO Box 87-343, Meadowbank, Auckland 1742 and are tax deductible.