Care of aged to be widened

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 21

Care of aged to be widened

Concerns for the aged needed to be multi-discip-lined and and should cover a wider field than the traditional labels of health and welfare, says the Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs Hercus. Planning for the care of the elderly would have to take into account the fact that the population of the aged was changing, Mrs Hercus told a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Association of Gerontology in Christchurch on Monday evening. The Royal Commission on social policy which would be appointed and announced later this year was being formed in

response for the need for a re-examination of the rationale of social intervention, said Mrs Hercus. The commission would consider the principles and philosophy which should underline social policy and how their basic principles should be translated into action across the range of policy areas. "Not only are people living longer, but people are also retiring earlier,” she said. "Most of us will have 15 years or more of active life beyond the period spent pursuing a career and/or raising a family.” “We have to learn how

to use these post-work years.” Planning for the care of the aged meant ensuring as far as possible that there were real and viable options available to older people, so that they could make their own decisions as to what happened to them, said Mrs Hercus. More research was also needed into the customs and traditions towards care of the aged in different cultural groups in New Zealand. Mrs Hercus said Christchurch was fortunate in having well organised and well publicised home help and nursing services

available, but there was room for greater imagination and initiative in this field. Housing was one area in which improvements could be made to suit the needs of the elderly. The Housing Corporation was reviewing housing policies for the elderly, and builders and developers were seeing the possibilities of the market for accommodation suited to older people. Negative attitudes to old people and subsequent stereotyping especially needed changing. Mrs Hercus said that as caring for the aged fell

under the jurisdiction of the Health Department, as well as that of Social Welfare, both departments were determined to work together where possible for the benefit of the elderly. The two departments were reviewing the special benefit payments to residents of private rest homes, she said. Ways to promote the co-ordination of homebased support and related services were also being looked at. A successful pilot scheme in Auckland would be expanded throughout New Zealand as resources became available.