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NZ’s ever-expanding aged population has prompted the Government to update its Health of Older People (HOP) Strategy and the community is being asked for feedback.
The country’s 65-plus population nearly doubled between 1981 and 2013, from around 310,000 to 607,000. By 2038, people 65-plus will number 1,286,000.
Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says the review of the HOP strategy provides an opportunity to set a direction for the health of older people.
“The health system needs to be coordinated and responsive to older people’s wishes,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says. “They need to feel safe and supported to openly discuss and plan their end of life care.”
Heart disease, cancers, arthritis and respiratory diseases remain the main causes of poor health among older people.
A workshop to discuss the strategy will be held in Auckland on Monday August 22, starting at 10am. Info: health.govt.nz
Health statistics
- In 2014, 90% of New Zealanders reported they were in good, very good or excellent health, the highest percentage reported by any country in the OECD; for those aged over 75 years, the figure was 87%.
- New Zealanders are more likely to report being able to get a doctor’s appointment on the same or next day than people in the United Kingdom or Australia, and waits for emergency department care are the shortest of 11 countries surveyed by the Commonwealth Fund.
- Life expectancy for Kiwis is 79.5 years for males and 83.2 years for females, both above the OECD average
The NZ health system supports per year: 12.6 million daytime visits to general practitioners (GPs) and 2.8 million visits to general practice nurses • the dispensing of 65 million pharmaceutical items • 24 million laboratory tests • 1 million emergency department visits.
Health of Older People (HOP) Strategy
