Housing & Accommodation

A growing number of retirees are facing the challenge of renting as they age. Suitable affordable properties are rare, and often only offer short term tenancies resulting in uncertainty and stress. For those retirees with limited financial resources trying to survive on the single NZ Superannuation weekly payment of $477.52,...

A growing number of retirees are facing the challenge of renting as they age. Suitable affordable properties are rare, and often only offer short term tenancies resulting in uncertainty and stress. For those retirees with limited financial resources trying to survive on the single NZ Superannuation weekly payment of $477.52,...

I was privileged to represent Grey Power at this important Hui held in Auckland on 3 October. The purpose was to support a collaborative approach amongst key organisations to advancing the causes of older people during the UN Decade of Health Ageing. Sponsored by the Selwyn Foundation, together with Age...

The NZ housing crisis persists. Alan Maxwell highlights the need for downsizing-friendly units to free up family homes. He suggests deferred repayment bridging finance, citing Cork City Council’s Rightsizing Scheme as a model. The question remains: what solutions can the new Government bring? We all know that there is a...

Grey Power Immediate Past Vice President Pete Matcham recently made a presentation to the New Zealand Association of Gerontology’s annual conference. The conference aimed to celebrate older people and their essential contributions to society and to address ageism. His report summarises the highlights of his presentation, “Driven to Distraction:...

For many Hawkes Bay residents, Cyclone Gabrielle required them to re-evaluate their needs, and shone a spotlight on just how important safety and community really is. Being unable to reach loved ones and cut off from basic amenities for an unknown amount of time, made people feel isolated and...

The AgedAdvisor annual awards have been held every year for almost a decade now – celebrating the best-of-the-best in aged care and retirement and lifestyle villages across Aotearoa. If you are not very digitally proficient, you may not have visited AgedAdvisor, however you may have completed a review on one...

If the nearly 40,000 Kiwis living in aged-care facilities all lived in one place the community would be about the size of Gisborne. They would almost qualify for their own electorate and have the right to appoint/elect a member of Parliament. 57 percent of those citizens require high levels...

If central government increased taxes at a rate greater than inflation every year for 20 plus years – there would be rioting in the streets – but that is what central government encourages local governments to do – every year. As the country’s demographics change and the population ages, new...

Despite the cyclone damage suffered throughout the North Island, work has been taking place around the elder housing units on Heron Crescent, Katikati. These works were the first step in the process to redevelop the elder housing village which is now over 40-years-old. When finished, the project led by...

One of the conundrums of healthy ageing is the assumption that your current home is the best place to stay, if you’re able. However, the reality is that many homes aren’t adequate environments for healthy ageing. Loneliness is also one of the most commonly reported issues for retirees living...