Successive governments have continued to underfund and under resource services which are vital to our senior population.
In December of last year, we received a briefing from the Retirement Commissioner and Dr Paul Spoonley. It painted a stark picture – New Zealand is woefully under-prepared for our growing senior population.
Recent housing reports show that 13 percent of people over the age of 65 are still paying a mortgage and a similar proportion of our elderly are renting. The number of renters over the age of 65 is projected to go up to 40 percent – 600,000 – by 2040.
The cost-of-living crisis has also hit seniors hard. Some 44 percent are feeling financially exposed. 16.8 percent of those over 65 are in poverty, higher than the OECD average of 14.2 percent whilst 93 percent of those entering aged residential care were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.
Over a quarter of retirees are putting off medical treatment. Over a quarter are also buying less food, all while the rejection rate for hardship food grants by the Ministry of Social Development has tripled.
The latest research and data all point to the same conclusion. If we want our seniors to thrive with dignity and autonomy, we must act now.
This is why the Greens are calling for a non-partisan approach to:
Scale up accessible public housing which is appropriate for seniors, building 35,000 new public homes over five years to clear the public housing waitlist.
Establish a rental warrant of fitness, to guarantee all rental homes are safe, warm and healthy to live in.
Provide free GP visits and free dental care for all.
Provide community health, and dental check-up vans to ensure everyone, including seniors, can access the healthcare they need.
Seniors are integral to all aspects of society, and the Green Party knows that seniors deserve better.