Aging Well in New Zealand: Messages for Practice

Valerie Wright-St Clair

NZAOT Conference 2006

Dancing Jandals: Occupational Therapy in the Pacific Rim

The character of a nation and what The character of a nation and what its people enjoy doing is likely to be its people enjoy doing is likely to be shaped by the environment, the shaped by the environment, the racial origins of people who live on racial origins of people who live on and settle the land, and the unique and settle the land, and the unique set of conditions that prevail as the set of conditions that prevail as the nation grows and developsnation grows and develops

Te Ara: The encyclopaedia of New Zealand. (2006)Te Ara: The encyclopaedia of New Zealand. (2006)

Overview of PresentationOverview of Presentation

Researching Aging in the EverydayResearching Aging in the Everyday Aging New ZealandAging New Zealand The PeopleThe People The EnvironmentThe Environment The OccupationsThe Occupations The Lived Experience of Aging WellThe Lived Experience of Aging Well Messages for PracticeMessages for Practice

Researching Aging in the EverydayResearching Aging in the Everyday

How elders experience agingHow elders experience agingin their everyday community livesin their everyday community lives

Non-Maori 80+Non-Maori 80+ Maori 70+Maori 70+

Aging New ZealandAging New Zealand

By 2051 people aged 65 years and older By 2051 people aged 65 years and older will make up 26% of the NZ population, a will make up 26% of the NZ population, a 150% increase150% increase

People aged 85 years and are the fastest People aged 85 years and are the fastest growing sector of the populationgrowing sector of the population

By 2051 there will be a 600% increase in By 2051 there will be a 600% increase in those aged 85 and olderthose aged 85 and older

(Davey, de Joux, Nana & Arcus, 2004)(Davey, de Joux, Nana & Arcus, 2004)

The PeopleThe People

4 million New Zealanders4 million New Zealanders

The PeopleThe People

Maori as tangata whenua from 1250Maori as tangata whenua from 1250 1 in 7 people identify as Maori1 in 7 people identify as Maori Maori aged 65+Maori aged 65+

will increase fromwill increase from3% of all Maori3% of all Maoriin 2001 toin 2001 to16% in 205116% in 2051

But will make upBut will make uponly 7% of allonly 7% of allthose aged 65+those aged 65+

The PeopleThe People

The visible settlersThe visible settlers

Early settlers from Early settlers from England, Scotland England, Scotland and Ireland came and Ireland came in search of a in search of a better lifebetter life

The PeopleThe People

The hidden settlersThe hidden settlers

People’s fleeing People’s fleeing persecution in their persecution in their lands of origin lands of origin sought the freedom sought the freedom of settlement in of settlement in New Zealand from New Zealand from 18701870

The PeopleThe People

Diverse groups of Diverse groups of peoples now peoples now choose New choose New Zealand as their Zealand as their new homeland new homeland

The EnvironmentThe Environment

The natural The natural environmentenvironment

130 kms to the sea130 kms to the sea

Madge’s Story at 95Madge’s Story at 95

The EnvironmentThe Environment

The Built EnvironmentThe Built Environment

Home ownership is decreasingHome ownership is decreasing

Multi-Unit dwellings are increasingMulti-Unit dwellings are increasing

Retirement villages as lifestyleRetirement villages as lifestyle

Gated communities for securityGated communities for security

Florence’s Story at 90Florence’s Story at 90

The OccupationsThe Occupations

In and Around the HomeIn and Around the Home

Gardening and gardensGardening and gardens

DIY home maintenanceDIY home maintenance

Reading books and Reading books and magazinesmagazines

Organised sportsOrganised sports

Watching televisionWatching television

Tom’s Story at 91Tom’s Story at 91

The Lived Experience ofThe Lived Experience ofAging WellAging Well

Messages for PracticeMessages for Practice It is time to consider:It is time to consider: Our strategic place and purpose in aging Our strategic place and purpose in aging

New ZealandNew Zealand How our culture of practice might serve How our culture of practice might serve

the diversity of aging New Zealandersthe diversity of aging New Zealanders Adjusting the focal distance of our Adjusting the focal distance of our

professional gaze from persons to professional gaze from persons to populations, andpopulations, and

To consider how to add our voice to To consider how to add our voice to creating occupationally enabling creating occupationally enabling environments within our communities.environments within our communities.

ReferencesReferences Davey, J., de Joux, V., Nana, G., & Arcus, M. (2004). Davey, J., de Joux, V., Nana, G., & Arcus, M. (2004).

Accommodation options for older people in Aotearoa/New Accommodation options for older people in Aotearoa/New ZealandZealand. Wellington: New Zealand Institute for Research on . Wellington: New Zealand Institute for Research on Ageing.Ageing.

Ministry of Health. (2002). Ministry of Health. (2002). Health of older people in New Health of older people in New Zealand: A statistical referenceZealand: A statistical reference. Wellington: Authors.. Wellington: Authors.

Perrott, A. (2006). A thriving sense of community. NZ Perrott, A. (2006). A thriving sense of community. NZ Herald, Canvas, 12 August. p. 12-14.Herald, Canvas, 12 August. p. 12-14.

Statistics New Zealand. Statistics New Zealand. http://statsnz.resultspage.com/http://statsnz.resultspage.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=home%20ownership Retrieved search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=home%20ownership Retrieved August 20, 2006August 20, 2006

Te Ara: Encyclopaedia of NZ. Te Ara: Encyclopaedia of NZ. www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/NewZealandPeopleswww.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/NewZealandPeoples Retrieved August 12, 2006.Retrieved August 12, 2006.

Questions & DiscussionQuestions & Discussion

Messages for PracticeMessages for Practice It is time to consider:It is time to consider: Our strategic place and purpose in aging Our strategic place and purpose in aging

New ZealandNew Zealand How our culture of practice might serve How our culture of practice might serve

the diversity of aging New Zealandersthe diversity of aging New Zealanders Adjusting the focal distance of our Adjusting the focal distance of our

professional gaze from persons to professional gaze from persons to populations, andpopulations, and

To consider how to add our voice to To consider how to add our voice to creating occupationally enabling creating occupationally enabling environments within our communities.environments within our communities.