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Positive Ageing Policy 2004-2008

Meeting identified needs with innovative solutions

This document lists the visions and goals that the council has established to support older people within New Plymouth District.

Incorporating the Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is the founding document of New Zealand. The New Plymouth Positive Ageing Policy was developed according to the principle of partnership within a relationship of good faith, mutual respect and understanding, and shared decision making. This relationship will continue to be reflected in the ongoing implementation of the policy.

You can read the Positive Ageing Policy 2004-2008 online as HTML text or by downloading the PDF.

Positive Ageing Policy 2004-2008 (24 pages 250KB PDF)

4.1. Year of Older Persons 1999
4.2. Positive Ageing Strategy 2001
4.3. Positive Ageing in New Zealand: Diversity, participation and change
4.4. Creating communities for all ages: Local government and older New Zealanders

5. Positive Ageing New Plymouth

5.1. Element 1: The Positive Ageing Group
5.2. Element 2: New Plymouth District Council Community Development Plan 2002 - 2012
5.3. Element 3: Partnerships – local and national
5.4. Element 4: Positive Ageing Policy – meeting identified needs with innovative solutions
5.5. Consultation

10.A. Positive Ageing New Plymouth Organisation Structure
10.B. New Plymouth District demographic profile
10.C. Further information contact details
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1. Acknowledgements and partnerships

New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) acknowledges the participation and contribution of all the groups and individuals whose ideas and priorities have been reflected in this document. The document reflects two-years worth of research and consultation and has been influenced by the views of people from all sectors of the New Plymouth District community.

In particular NPDC would like to acknowledge the key partnerships that have been developed with the Positive Ageing Group and the Western Institute for Technology at Taranaki. The combined knowledge and experience of these two organisations has proved fundamental to the development of this policy document and their continued energy and wisdom will ensure that Positive Ageing is a sustainable reality within the District.
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2. Positive ageing defined

New Plymouth District Council recognises the following statements taken from the Government’s Positive Ageing Strategy as the definition of positive ageing:

“The concept of ‘positive ageing’ embraces a number of factors, including health, financial security, independence, self-fulfillment, community attitudes, personal safety and security, and the physical environment. The underpinning premise is that the years of ‘older age’ should be both viewed and experienced positively. The focus is therefore not only on the experience of older individuals, but also on younger generations’ attitudes, expectations, and actions regarding ageing and older people.”

“Our vision is for a society where people can age positively, where older people are highly valued and where they are recognised as an integral part of families and communities. New Zealand will be a positive place in which to age when older people can say that they live in a society that values them, acknowledges their contributions and encourages their participation.”

Therefore, while the Positive Ageing Policy aims to improve the quality of life of those over 65, to be successful it will engage with all age groups within the community.
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3. Purpose of the policy

This policy has six key purposes:

To document and summarise the identified concerns and needs of the older community within the New Plymouth District.
To outline the goals that have been identified as the key priorities to respond to these concerns and needs and to therefore achieve positive ageing.
To summarise in the form of an Annual Action Plan the initiatives that have been developed in order to begin moving towards these goals.
To expand on the commitment of New Plymouth District Council to older people enshrined in the Community Development Plan 2002 – 2012 (explained in more detail in section 5). This commitment states that: “Older people are important and valued members of the community.”
To provide a mechanism through which the national Positive Ageing Strategy can become a reality for the local community within the New Plymouth District.
To provide a framework that:

Enables all members of the community to understand how positive ageing will be achieved.
Enables new partnerships to be developed to contribute to achieving positive ageing.
Ensures that positive ageing is a living process that changes and updates in order to meet the future needs of new generations.

This Positive Ageing Policy is intended to address the current needs of older people and ensure that they experience positive ageing. It has also been created with the flexibility to adapt and develop so that future needs can be met.

The policy will therefore ensure that New Plymouth District remains a place in which older people can achieve and enjoy positive ageing.
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4. Background and guiding influences

Year of Older Persons 1999

The theme for the United Nations Year of the Older Person 1999 was Towards A Society For All Ages. The objective of the year was the promotion of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. These principles addressed issues that were viewed as important to thequality of life of older people including:

Independence.
Participation.
Care.
Self-fulfillment.
Dignity.

Within New Zealand two objectives were set for the Year of Older Persons:

Promoting positive attitudes to ageing and older people.
Preparing for an ageing population.

These objectives prompted work to begin on developing a national Positive Ageing Strategy. This was eventually launched in 2001.

Within New Plymouth a series of focus groups were held to determine the factors that allowed older people to remain independent. These factors, along with the themes of the Year, remain relevant and have contributed to the development of this policy document.
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Positive Ageing Strategy 2001

Launched in April 2001 by the Office for Senior Citizens the Positive Ageing Strategy established a framework of ten Positive Ageing Principles to guide the development of initiatives and policies to help improve the quality of life of older people.

The Strategy highlighted the importance of partnerships involving local authorities, community groups, key organisations and businesses, and older people themselves.

The ten Positive Ageing Principles, which have been reflected in the development of this policy, are:

Empower older people to make choices that enable them to live a satisfying life and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Provide opportunities for older people to participate in and contribute to family, whanau and community.
Reflect positive attitudes to older people.
Recognise the diversity of older people and ageing as a normal part of the lifecycle.
Affirm the values and strengthen the capabilities of older Maori and their whanau.
Recognise the diversity and strengthen the capabilities of older Pacific people.
Appreciate the diversity of cultural identity of older people living in New Zealand.
Recognise the different issues facing men and women.
Ensure older people, in both rural and urban areas, live with confidence in a secure environment and receive the services they need to do so.
Enable older people to take responsibility for their personal growth and development through changing circumstances.

New Plymouth District Council’s Positive Ageing Strategy has informed the development of this policy document which as far as possible reflects the ten Positive Ageing Principles.
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Positive Ageing in New Zealand; Diversity, participation and change

This document was published in October 2001 by the Office for Senior Citizens to provide a snapshot of the situation of older people. This information would be used as the baseline to assess progress made towards Positive Ageing.

The content of the document reflects the goals of the Positive Ageing Strategy with a key focus on partnerships between government, local government and communities.

New Plymouth District Council’s Positive Ageing Policy reflects this emphasis on building strong partnerships involving not just local government, service providers and community groups, but older people themselves. In particular the policy supports the view expressed in Positive Ageing New Zealand that:

“Successful partnerships build on existing networks, promote innovation and have committed partners with defined roles and shared objectives… Collaborative partnerships strengthen communities and provide opportunities for the talents, skills and values of older people to create conditions in which people of all ages can contribute, unrestrained by stereotypes and other barriers.”

Creating communities for all ages: Local government and older New Zealanders

This report was produced in 2000 by the 40+ Project Group, which is part of Victoria University of Wellington’s Positive Ageing and Intergenerational Relations research programme, in partnership with Age Concern.

The report concluded that Local Government Council’s had a key role to play in improving the quality of life of older people:

“Local Government in New Zealand has a unique position of influence over many areas of life in local communities. The challenge for New Zealand Local Government and for all New Zealanders, young and old, will be to continue to find innovative, practical and flexible approaches to maximise their ability to lead independent, positive and satisfying lives at all ages.

"By developing partnerships with community groups and older individuals themselves, by supporting factors that enable older people to maintain a sense of control over their lives and by providing opportunities for influence over the decisions that affect them, Councils can develop strategies and services with older people that are effective and empowering.”

Through the development of Positive Ageing New Plymouth (outlined in the next section) and now through this Positive Ageing Policy, New Plymouth District Council has recognised its responsibility to work to improve the quality of life of older people and has established the partnerships and networks that will make positive ageing a reality.
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5. Positive Ageing New Plymouth

The development of positive ageing in New Plymouth has four key elements:

Element 1: The Positive Ageing Group

The Positive Ageing Group has been established with a specific purpose, which is:

“To work closely with the agencies, organisations and community in New Plymouth to create a district where older people are able to live positive lives.”

It has been set up to operate on three levels:

National - Support the work of the local Positive Ageing Volunteer Co-ordinator.
Local (agency) - Network with key stakeholders in the District.
Local (community) - Identify issues pertaining to the quality of life of older people and develop strategies to meet these at a local level.

Within this framework of purpose and organisation the Positive Ageing Group operates towards a clearly defined vision:

“Older People in the New Plymouth District are able to participate as full and equal members of society and enjoy a sustainable quality of life.”

The working group holds monthly meetings and currently consists of members from:

New Plymouth District Council
Grey Power
Age Concern
Access Ability
Friends Plus
Elder Protection Services
Sport Taranaki
University of the Third Age
Widows and Widowers Association
Taranaki Disability Resource Centre Trust
Tui Ora Maori health providers
Western Institute of Technology
Work and Income

In line with the objective outlined above the group is facilitated by the council’s Community Development Team. This facilitation includes a dedicated staff member and an operational budget of $2,000 to support the running of meetings and the development of initiatives to meet identified needs.

As part of its work the group organises quarterly public Positive Ageing Forums. These serve to provide an opportunity for guest speakers to present on appropriate topics and as an opportunity for older people and people working in appropriate sectors to discuss important issues. It also serves as an opportunity to raise the profile of Positive Ageing as a national Strategy. Topics that have been discussed via the Forums include major areas such as Rest Homes, Health of Older People, Creative and Active Older People and Transport.

In addition to these forums, two members of the working group sit as consumer representatives on the District Health Boards Health of Older People Strategy Steering Group.
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Element 2: New Plymouth District Council Community Development Plan 2002-2012

New Plymouth District Council’s Community Development Team adopted a 10-year Community Development Plan Social and Community Well Being to run from 2002 – 2012. This was designed to sit beneath the Council’s 10-year Strategic Plan.

The plan is designed to contribute to the Council’s long-term objective of ‘improvement in all aspects of the quality of life’. It includes a specific 10-year vision for community development:

“The New Plymouth district is one where all people are able to participate in and contribute to all aspects of community life.”

In order to achieve this vision the plan identifies eight major objectives and outlines a series of key activities and partners that will enable each objective to be met. One of the major objectives relates specifically to older people:

Objective 6 aims to ensure that ‘Older people are important and valued members of the community’. The objective also states ‘The council commits itself to supporting older people in the community, it is also recognised that we have an ever growing ageing population.’

The Community Development Plan lists a series of key activities that the council is committed to in order to achieve the objective:

'Provide information, advice and facilitation to aid in the development of older persons' social service provision and recreation and support networks.'
'Continue to host quarterly positive ageing forums and support the Positive Ageing Group.'
'Identify and raise awareness of key issues for older people in the community.'

The council has therefore taken a long-term commitment to work with older people to develop initiatives to improve their quality of life and achieve positive ageing.
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Element 3: Partnerships – Local and National

Local
Three major partnerships have been established at the local level to help facilitate positive ageing. These partnerships form a cornerstone of the Positive Ageing Policy because they represent the mechanism through which many of the goals will be met. The aim of all of the partnerships is to improve the quality of life of older people. The council is continuing to work with other key agencies within the district to establish new positive ageing partnerships.

1. Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT)

WITT have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Positive Ageing Group and the council to work in partnership to develop a Positive Ageing Centre of Excellence (PACE). PACE is a research centre that will conduct research into issues that have been identified as important by older people.

The vision for PACE has been broken down into three core components:

A centre of excellence to undertake research into issues affecting the quality of life of older people within New Plymouth District and the wider Taranaki region.
A research centre that can present evidence to appropriate agencies and therefore act as a catalyst to drive change.
A research centre that develops sufficient calibre to be able to contribute to the work of other national and international centres.

The centre has developed a successful relationship with the New Zealand Institute for Research in Ageing (see below). The research that it conducts will be used to gain evidence that can be used to advocate on behalf of older people and secure important changes to improve the quality of life of older people.

2. District Health Board

The District Health Board operates a Health of Older Persons Strategy steering group. This is an important group of experienced professionals who are working to ensure that health services in the District meet the needs of older people. The Health Board has included a member of the council’s Community Development Team and two members of the Positive Ageing Group on this steering group to make sure that the views of older people are clearly expressed. In addition, they regularly present at the Positive Ageing Forums to ensure that the wider public is kept up to date with developments from the Health of Older Persons Strategy.

3. Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)

ACC have become active partners with the council and Positive Ageing Group to develop initiatives to promote general safety and injury safe practices with older people. An example of the types of project that will develop from this partnership is a joint initiative between ACC and the council’s Housing for the Elderly team. ACC have worked with the team to implement their national Falls Prevention programme within the council’s housing units. This programme involves education and physical modifications to reduce the risk of older people experiencing a fall.
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National
Two major national partnerships have been developed that will enable the Council and its local positive ageing partners to advance the rights of older people and make significant improvements to the quality of life of older people.

1. New Zealand Institute for Research on Ageing (NZiRA)

In its June 2003 newsletter NZiRA notes that in 1998 the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology in New Zealand commissioned the Royal Society to prepare a paper entitled The Intergenerational Impacts of Ageing: a Research Strategy. One of the main findings of this report was that:

“Adjusting successfully to this ageing of the population will require major changes in public policy and social attitudes. These changes will affect all age groups in the population and hence all of society, and not simply the elderly.”

NZiRA argues that this report, together with actions from international bodies such as the World Health Organisation and the United Nations, the latter of which began work on a Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century during the Year of Older People in 1999, confirm that ageing is a topic that requires extensive research.

NZiRA is the foremost research institute for ageing in New Zealand. They have now formed a partnership with the PACE research centre based in New Plymouth in order to contribute to national research studies, particularly through regional or district level case studies. In addition, NZiRA have agreed to assist PACE to develop and grow as a research institute in its own right.

The partnership has therefore been defined as a mutual, two-way process. NZiRA is in a position to be able to assist with locating research findings and also researchers who have the required expertise and information. It is not always able to do things itself and as such looks to others who can help. NZiRA focuses primarily at the national level and on central government policies. By contrast the PACE centre has a local/regional focus. People at the local level are able to suggest local case studies and are closer to the implementation of policies so they can often discern the effects more easily.

Therefore, PACE and NZiRA can develop a complimentary learning relationship that allows each institution to assist the other by providing two different levels of focus. This partnership will enable major improvements to be made to the quality of life of older people.

2. Office for Senior Citizens

The council has worked with the Office for Senior Citizens to develop its Positive Ageing Policy and its overall Positive Ageing Strategy. The Office for Senior Citizens is administered by the Ministry for Social Development and is responsible for the implementation of the governments national Positive Ageing Strategy.

New Plymouth District Council’s positive ageing approach has been recognised as a model of best practice. As a result it receives support and guidance from the Office for Senior Citizens. This support and guidance ensures that the council’s Positive Ageing Policy and the actions taken by the positive ageing partners are contributing to the implementation of the Positive Ageing Strategy and are in line with the ten Positive Ageing Principles that the government has defined as the key elements for effective improvements in the quality of life of older people.
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Element 4: Positive Ageing Policy: meeting identified needs with innovative solutions

This Positive Ageing Policy provides the framework within which initiatives can be developed to meet the identified needs of older people within New Plymouth District. Each year a Positive Ageing New Plymouth Action Plan will be produced which will outline the key projects being undertaken that year. The projects will all be designed to move towards the goals of the Positive Ageing Policy and will therefore all contribute to improvements in the quality of life of older people and the achievement of positive ageing.

The policy has been designed as a flexible and living document. In addition to the annual action plans the council, in partnership with the Positive Ageing Group, will review the policy on a regular basis in order to ensure that it remains an accurate reflection of the priorities of the older community and accurately reflects all positive ageing partnerships.

The Positive Ageing Policy is a statement on behalf of the council and the positive ageing partners that identifies the commitments they have all made to improve the quality of life of older people. It has been designed through consultation with older people and will continue to reflect their goals and priorities.

Consultation
Consultation to inform positive ageing in New Plymouth has been ongoing since the formation of the Positive Ageing Group in October 2001. A number of formats have been used to access the views of older people:

Quarterly public Positive Ageing Forums and ad hoc Positive Ageing Seminars.
Feedback from the networks of members of the Positive Ageing Group. These networks include large-scale networks within organisations such as Grey Power and Age Concern as well as the smaller networks of organisations such as University of the Third Age and the Widows and Widowers Association.
Hui with Kaumatua and representatives of Kaumatua.
Consultation with partner organisations including WITT, Work and Income, ACC, District Health Board, NZiRA and Office for Senior Citizens.
National and international ageing research literature review.

This policy has been developed on the basis of this consultation process and will continue to be updated as work with older people and the positive ageing partners continues.
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6. Identified issues and needs

Older people in New Plymouth District and the positive ageing partners have identified a range of issues as priorities that need to be addressed to enable sustained improvement to the quality of life and to achieve positive ageing. Within each issue there are a range of subissues that are also important. The main issues to be identified can be defined as:

1. Housing

Affordability, including market prices and rentals, rates and maintenance.
Physical accessibility.
Physical condition.
Security.
Availability of a range of options including rest homes, retirement villages, council managed supported accommodation and support arrangements to enable a person to remain in their own home.
Design, including the development of lifetime homes features.
Culturally appropriate housing and support services.

2. Health

Seamless services across health sector.
Culturally specific policies and strategies.
Cost of health related services and products.
Clear information to ensure older people understand how to access appropriate services.
Consistency of service.
Availability of services
Accessibility of services

3. Transport

Range of services available.
Frequency and time-tabling of services.
Physical accessibility of services.
Health related services.
Transport policies that are sensitive to older peoples needs, including parking options, driving tests, policing of roads.
Access for mobility scooters.
Availability of mobility scooters.
Affordability.
Safety features and policies.

4. Access to services and activities

Availability of mobile services.
Comprehensive and clear information about services and activities.
Provision of culturally appropriate activities and services.
Provision of activities tailored to older people.
Variety.
Technology training.

5. Support to age positively in the community

Social support services.
Companionship services.
Support to access appropriate services.
Older persons advocates.
Address loneliness.
Improved access to services.
Financial support.
Health and safety support.
Attitudes of community and business.

It is recognised that these issues are inter-related and that no-one organisation is able to adequately resolve them. In view of this the Positive Ageing Policy has been designed with a focus on partnership. The goals will be met through the combined efforts of key agencies and organisations within the district in partnership with older people themselves. The Annual Positive Ageing New Plymouth action plans will outline the key targets for that year along with the organisations that have committed to ensure the target is met.
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7. Vision of the Positive Ageing Policy

The vision of the policy has been deliberately designed to be concise, direct and proactive:

“Within New Plymouth District older people will be active participants in improving their quality of life and will experience and enjoy positive ageing.”
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8. Goals of the Positive Ageing Policy

In order to achieve the goals below Positive Ageing New Plymouth will be developed in a culturally sensitive manner. The goals apply equally to all members of the New Plymouth District community, but specific initiatives will be developed to ensure that all older people, including Kaumatua, have every opportunity to experience positive ageing.

New Plymouth District Council recognises that these goals will only be met if innovative partnerships are developed that involve older people, community groups and key agencies within the district.

Goal 1
Older people will be empowered to become active participants in developing innovative solutions to needs that they have identified.

New Plymouth District Council will:
1.1 Support and facilitate the Positive Ageing Group as a key representative body of older people within the community.
1.2 Host quarterly Positive Ageing Forums that are open to all members of the community.
1.3 Develop and sustain innovative partnerships with agencies and organisations and ensure that they include older people as core members.
1.4 Work to achieve the goals and vision of the Positive Ageing Policy and through this to meet key objective 6 of the Community Development Plan 2002-2012.
1.5 Advocate to central government on behalf of older people, or support them to advocate on behalf of themselves, on appropriate identified issues.

Goal 2
Older people will be valued members of the wider District community and will have every opportunity to enjoy positive ageing.

New Plymouth District Council will:
2.1 Work to challenge negative opinions, attitudes and images of older people within the community.
2.2 Work to ensure that older people can easily access appropriate and comprehensive services when they require them.
2.3 Work to ensure that older people can access clear and comprehensive information on services and activities.
2.4 Develop comprehensive support systems to allow older people to age positively within the community for as along as they are able.

Goal 3
Positive Ageing New Plymouth will make tangible and measurable improvements to the quality of life of older people within the district.

New Plymouth District Council will:
3.1 Produce an annual Positive Ageing New Plymouth Action Plan that outlines the targets for that year.
3.2 Produce an annual Positive Ageing New Plymouth Report outlining progress and achievements over the past year.
3.3 Regularly review the Positive Ageing Policy to ensure that it continues to reflect the needs and priorities of older people.
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9. Implementation and review process

The Positive Ageing Policy has been designed to operate for five years from 1 January 2004 until 31 December 2008. The five-year period has been chosen because it provides sufficient time for initiatives to make an impact, but is short enough to ensure that the policy will not become outdated.

Positive Ageing New Plymouth Action Plans will be produced at the beginning of each year to outline the specific initiatives that will be the priorities for that year. Each Action Plan will include initiatives designed to move a step closer to achieving the overall goals of the Positive Ageing Policy and will build on the work of the previous year. At the end of each year a Positive Ageing New Plymouth Report will be produced to summarise the actions and achievements of that year.

The overall Positive Ageing Policy will be reviewed during its last year of operation (2008). This review is intended to create an opportunity for the policy to be updated with a view to readopting another five-year Positive Ageing Policy to run from 2009 – 2013.
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Appendices

10.A. Organisation structure

Organisational structure (95KB Jpeg)

10.B. New Plymouth District Demographic data
Figures were taken from the most recent Census statistics:

There are 9,906 people aged 65 plus in New Plymouth District.
Of the 9,906, males accounted for 4,233 and females 5,673.
European 9,264 (3,957 male and 5,298 female.
Maori 306 (126 male and 180 female).
Pacific Island 24 (6 male and 15 female).
Asian 57 (24 male and 33 female).
Other 12 (6 male and 6 female).
The New Plymouth District over 65 population accounts for 2.2% of the national over 65 population.

10.C. Further information contact details
Community Development Team
New Plymouth District Council
Private Bag 2025
New Plymouth
Phone: 06-759 6060
Fax: 06-759 6072

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