Open letter to the Prime Minister

Read our letter to Rt Hon John Key from Age Concern national president Liz Baxendine. Government is failing to act on a critical issue affecting seniors' welfare and safety.

"Age Concern is extremely concerned about the many older people in New Zealand who continue to suffer the most appalling physical, psychological and financial abuse. We are similarly concerned about the growing number of vulnerable older people with complex needs who are currently not being helped.

We have informed the Minister for Senior Citizens about the serious issue of elder abuse and the need to co-ordinate services to older people with complex needs. Minister Carter has identified elder abuse as one of his priority areas of action but is doing little more than taking the funding-free action of raising awareness about abuse. Raising awareness alone is not enough. It simply creates demand for services which do not exist in all parts of the country.

The main issue is that there are 7 gaps in elder abuse and neglect prevention services throughout New Zealand. This means that abused people in Northland, Rodney, Coromandel, Rotorua, Whakatane, Marlborough and Ashburton do not have the help available in the rest of the country. Yes, the establishment of these services will require additional funding and we appreciate funding is constrained but we think this issue is of such importance that Government will be able to find money, in the same way the Minister of Energy found $1 5m for his advertising campaign for consumers to switch power companies.

Age Concern has prepared a proposal and budget bid designed to ensure all abused older people in New Zealand have access to an elder abuse and prevention service. We have also sought funding assistance to establish services to provide case-management to older people with complex needs. These have been sent to the Minster for Senior Citizens and Minister for Social Development and are attached.

We believe Government must be able to do more, if it considers people being abused or with complex needs are of high priority. We, therefore, ask that you review this matter with your colleagues and undertake to fund, at the very least, the 7 gaps in elder abuse services that currently exist in New Zealand."

– Liz Baxendine, President, 10 December 2009

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