Chapter 3 - The Positive Ageing Strategy

Key Messages

• Positive ageing defines older age as a time for continuing contribution and participation in society.
• The purpose of the Positive Ageing Strategy is to promote positive ageing across a broad range of portfolio areas, and thereby improve opportunities for older people to participate in the community in the ways that they choose.
• Changing attitudes about ageing and older people is the first step to promoting positive and productive ageing.
• Continued productivity in older age has benefits for the individuals concerned, their families, the community and government.

Introduction

The growth in the older population has significant policy implications for all nations. In developed countries in particular, much of the debate on the ageing population centres around expected increases in health and retirement income expenditure. But the situation is more complex than the issue of a relatively larger number and proportion of older people. People are living longer, and for a longer period of their old age they are active and healthy.[1]

The discussion of ageing population issues is often focused on the costs and problems generated by a growing number of older people. The picture often painted is one of high dependency ratios, the potential tax burden imposed on working age people, and a large number of perceivably non-productive people.

It is certainly the case that changes in the population structure will have fiscal and other implications that need to be accounted for in policy and planning. However, the ageing population debate rarely occurs alongside a consideration of the impact of changes in other population cohorts, or the potential modifying influences of migration or global economic shifts. The profound importance of human capital and the capacity of individuals, families, communities or populations to adapt or make provision for change are also not explicitly accounted for.[2]

Until relatively recently, consideration of changes within the older people cohort has not focused on the many opportunities to be realised as future generations of older people are expected to be healthier, more skilled and educated and remain more active in the workforce than their predecessors.

Active ageing, positive ageing, productive ageing and successful ageing are all concepts that advance the theory of ageing as a lifelong process, where positive attitudes to ageing and expectations of continuing productivity challenge the notion of older age as a time of retirement and withdrawal from society. The focus is on lifetime experiences contributing to wellbeing in older age, and older age as a time for ongoing participation in society.

The ability to age positively is assisted by good investment in education to provide individuals with a range of skills and an ability to set and achieve goals. It is also dependent on an environment that provides opportunities for older people to remain involved in society.

The Positive Ageing Strategy

The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy was launched by the Minister for Senior Citizens on 10 April 2001. The purpose of the Strategy is to promote positive ageing across a broad range of portfolio areas, and thereby improve opportunities for older people to participate in the community in the ways that they choose. The Strategy identifies policy principles for positive ageing, priority goals and key actions, and is used in policy planning by over 30 government agencies.

Process for development of the Strategy

The process for the development of the Positive Ageing Strategy reflects the nature of the Strategy and is consistent with what it seeks to achieve. Development of the Strategy involved extensive consultation covering a wide geographical area, and a range of older peoples expert and advisory groups, key sector organisations, individuals and communities of interest. Older people were therefore engaged from the outset in shaping and defining the issues and activities covered by the Strategy.

Its success will rely principally on the achievement of the specific activities each government agency carries out each year. Local government will also be important to achieving the goals of the Strategy. Ultimately, the success of the Positive Ageing Strategy will be measured by improvements in the status of older people. Older people are both the purpose for, and the outcome measure of, the Strategy. Their input in its development was therefore critical.

The Positive Ageing Principles

The Advisory Council for Senior Citizens developed 10 Principles, which established the basis of the Strategy.

The 10 Principles state that effective positive ageing policies will:

1. Empower older people to make choices that enable them to live a satisfying life and lead a healthy lifestyle;

2. Provide opportunities for older people to participate in, and contribute to, family, whānau and the community;

3. Reflect positive attitudes to older people;

4. Recognise the diversity of older people and ageing as a normal part of the lifecycle;

5. Affirm the values and strengthen the capabilities of older Māori and their whānau;

6. Recognise the diversity and strengthen the capabilities of older Pacific people;

7. Appreciate the diversity of cultural identity of older people living in New Zealand;

8. Recognise the different issues facing men and women;

9. 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; and

10. Enable older people to take responsibility for their personal growth and development through changing circumstances.

The vision

Following the preparation of the Positive Ageing Principles, a community reference group, known as the Positive Ageing Reference Group, was set up to oversee the development of the Positive Ageing Strategy. Members of the Reference Group were appointed on the basis of their interest and understanding of positive ageing issues, not as representatives of particular groups or organisations. The Positive Ageing Reference Group developed the vision for the Positive Ageing Strategy, which states:

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 to age when older people can say that they live in a society that values them, acknowledges their contributions and encourages their participation.

Consultation

Consultation meetings were held around the country to provide feedback on the draft principles for the Strategy, and to identify areas on which government could focus in order to create a society where people can age positively. This process involved over 40 meetings with older people, Māori, Pacific people, non-government and aged care sectors, and various expert and advisory groups. The majority of the focus groups were organised by the Volunteer Community Co-ordinators who work with the Office for Senior Citizens.

It emerged through consultation that there was general community agreement with the draft Principles. Those consulted also identified specific areas for government action.

The goals and priorities for government action

The identified areas for government action formed the basis for the development of the 10 Positive Ageing Goals. The 10 goals are:

• secure and adequate income for older people;
• equitable, timely, affordable and accessible health services for older people;
• affordable and appropriate housing options for older people;
• affordable and accessible transport options for older people;
• older people feel safe and secure and can age in place; a range of culturally appropriate services allows choices for older people;
• older people living in rural communities are not disadvantaged when accessing services;
• people of all ages have positive attitudes to ageing and older people;
• elimination of ageism and the promotion of flexible work options; and
• increasing opportunities for personal growth and community participation.

Each goal has a number of specific key actions to be undertaken by central government.

Positive Ageing action plans

The Ministry of Social Development co-ordinates the development of an action plan each year to implement the Positive Ageing Strategy across all areas of government activity. As part of the annual action plans, Chief Executives of government agencies identify and discuss with their Ministers proposed work items that will form their departments contributions to the Positive Ageing Action Plan. Through this process the annual action plan aligns specific work items with the goals and principles of the Strategy. This also enables a wide range of government agencies, often with very different roles, functions and policy focus, to make their own contributions to a collective strategic endeavour. The Positive Ageing Action Plan for 2001/02 was released along with the Positive Ageing Strategy. It contained 120 work items across 27 government agencies.

The Ministry of Social Development is responsible for preparing annual reports to Government on progress on each years action plan. The first report, for those actions undertaken between 1 July 2001 and 30 June 2002 is currently in preparation. Feedback from government agencies indicates very good progress on the 2001/02 Actions, with some agencies having undertaken more activities than agreed.

The action plan for 2001/02 received considerable community interest through meetings held by the Office for Senior Citizens and the Volunteer Community Co-ordinators (VCCs). The VCCs have to date held 262 meetings for the Positive Ageing Strategy, resulting in 5,000 copies of both the Positive Ageing Strategy and Positive Ageing Action Plan 2001/ 02 being distributed by VCCs[3] and discussed. It is expected that the 2002/03 action plan and the report on the 2001/02 action plan will receive a similarly high level of community interest.

The Ministry of Social Development has collated the contributions from government departments to form an action plan for 2002/03. It provides a larger collective work programme than the previous action plan, and involves a wider range of government agencies. Subject to its approval by Cabinet, the annual report 2001/02 will be released to the public in September 2002. It is intended that the new Action Plan for 2002/03 will also be available in September.

Positive Ageing Status Report

The Positive Ageing Strategy is a living document. This is ensured by the formulation of an annual action plan, and the requirement for annual reporting back to government on progress made on the previous years action plan. Another mechanism for maintaining the momentum of the Positive Ageing Strategy and keeping its goals on track is the three-yearly Positive Ageing Status Report.

The first Positive Ageing Status Report, Positive Ageing in New Zealand: He Oranga Kaumātua i Aotearoa, was launched by the Minister for Senior Citizens on 1 October 2001, the International Day of Older Persons. The Status Report is the three-yearly baseline report for the Positive Ageing Strategy, providing an overview of current policies and programmes encouraging people to age positively, and identifying issues requiring further government action. Ministry of Social Development officials, with the Office for Senior Citizens, worked with expert advisors from the government and non-government sector and with a range of community and government service providers to produce the report.

To ensure the effective measurement of progress on the Strategy, the Status Report has been developed around the 10 Positive Ageing goals and key actions. The sub-title of the Status Report, Diversity, Participation and Change, Te Kanorau, Te Whaiwāhitanga me Te Whanaketanga, reflects the following themes that are recognised throughout the report:

• diversity of older people;
• the continued participation of older people in all aspects society; and
• the opportunities provided by the changing population.

The first section of the status report provides an overview of data, information and analysis, both demographic and economic, to set the context for discussing specific policy issues. The second section provides specific information on the status of older people in New Zealand, using the 10 positive ageing goals as subject headings.

An important requirement of the Positive Ageing Strategy is to adapt to changing priorities for older people. The Status Report fulfils this requirement by noting emerging issues for each of the positive ageing goal areas. The range of issues identified in the status report include:

• Retirement income: The importance of retirement planning for younger generations and the need to consider the affects of the different life histories of future retirees.
• Healthy lifestyles: Encouraging healthy lifestyles throughout the lifecycle to achieve important health benefits in older age, especially so that the life expectancy of older Māori and their whānau, and older Pacific peoples can increase.
• Housing: The importance of developing housing interventions in conjunction with policies for health and social services for an ageing population who may not have mortgage-free home ownership in retirement.
• Māori perspectives: Increasing the understanding, in Government agencies, of the role and significance of kaumātua in Te Ao Māori, the Māori world.
• Culturally appropriate services: The need for services appropriate for the growing number of older Māori, Pacific peoples and older people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The greater ethnic diversity in the older population also requires different opportunities for participation.
• Communication technology: The increasing use of information and communication technologies and the importance of telecommunications infrastructures for rural communities.
• Employment: The significant impact that unemployment within 10 years of retirement has on the quality of life in retirement. This indicates the importance of employment policies aimed at retaining older workers.
• Creating opportunities: Perhaps most importantly, as the final section of the status report relates, the growing number of older people increases the importance of providing opportunities for their skills and experience to be utilised.

The new Action Plan 2002/03 links departmental work to these emerging issues where appropriate.

Chapters in the Status Report conclude with a discussion of current and planned government action towards achieving the positive ageing goals. This provides the baseline from which progress can be measured over the next decade.

Attitudes to ageing

Goal 8 of the Positive Ageing Strategy is that People of all ages have positive attitudes to ageing and older people. Attitudes to ageing are developed from early childhood and are based on personal experiences of older people, as well as societys views of ageing. Creating positive attitudes to ageing not only reduces the risk of discrimination against older people, but also provides an environment in which older people are encouraged to continue contributing to the community, and where recreation, learning and positive living are promoted throughout older age.[4]

The geographic spread and mobility of families today means that many young people do not have grandparents or other family members living nearby. As a result, they may not have opportunities to interact and learn about the unique qualities and skills of other generations.

Role models are an effective way of building positive images of ageing among children and their families. Intergenerational programmes, such as Wrinkle in Time,[5] and other initiatives outlined in the LinkAge handbook[6] create new opportunities to bring old and young together and provide children with a range of positive role models. Intergenerational programmes in place throughout New Zealand have benefits for both older and young people by providing opportunities to:

• promote the exchange of learning and skills between young and utilise the skills,
• talents and experiences of older people to meet the needs of young people;
• utilise the skills, talents and experiences of young people to meet the needs of older people;
• and increase the awareness and involvement of young and older people in their local community.

Continuing participation and contribution

The concept of productive ageing recognises the life skills and experiences of older people and encourages them to continue to contribute these to society. For some older people this is achieved through paid work, however retirement from the workforce does not mean that people cease to contribute to society. Retirement can provide opportunities for participation in different ways and in a range of roles: as volunteers; family members; neighbours; caregivers; committee and trust members; kaumātua; business mentors and advisors; and members of communities.

Two of the goals of the Positive Ageing Strategy are directly aimed at encouraging and enabling more people to age productively in whatever way they choose. Goal 9 relates to employment: Elimination of ageism and the promotion of flexible work options. Goal 10 is Increasing opportunities for personal growth and community participation.

Volunteering

Older people comprise a significant proportion of the volunteer workforce. Around 15% of all unpaid work is done by older people.[15] In the four weeks preceding the 2001 Census 17% of people aged 65+ had done voluntary work outside their home. The 65-74 age group was most active in the volunteer sector, with 21% reporting they had spent time volunteering.[16]

Older people volunteer in many different ways. They are volunteers in community groups and are advisors and mentors within business. They volunteer on boards, in schools, on the marae and in kohanga reo, within health and support services, as sports coaches and for their churches. Older people report that volunteering can be emotionally and spiritually satisfying, it contributes to their physical and mental wellbeing, and it provides opportunities to learn new skills and to continue to actively contribute to their communities. People of all ages benefit from the talents and knowledge that older people share with many through their voluntary work.[17] share with many through their voluntary work

The value of the contribution and skills of older people in retirement are acknowledged in the Positive Ageing Strategy.

Endnotes

1. Clay, R. Ageing Everywhere. American Association of Retired Persons, 1998.

2. This paragraph is a summarised interpretation of a presentation given by Professor Ian Pool on 24 June 2002 at a seminar convened by the Futures Trust in Wellington. The presentation was Future Directions: Waves, Turbulence and Policy.

3. A total of 14,000 copies of the 2001/02 Action Plan and the Positive Ageing Strategy were distributed. The 5,000 copies of each referred to was the VCCs particular contribution to distribution.

4. Maire Dwyer, Alison Gray and Margery Renwick. Factors Affecting the Ability of Older People to Live Independently. Ministry of Social Policy 2000.

5. An intergenerational programme developed by Age Concern Hamilton.

6. Developed by the then Senior Citizens Unit and launched in 1999 as part of the International Year of Older Persons.

7. OECD. Policy Implications of Ageing Populations. May 1996, p39.

8. Paye Jean-Claude. Strategies for a Learning Society. OECD Observer No 199 April/May 1996.

9. Social Policy Agency, Social Environment Scan June 1999, p36.

10. Judy McGregor and Lance Gray. Mature job-seekers in New Zealand. Massey University Palmerston North 2001.

11. McGregor, Judy. Employment of the Older Worker Helping Build a Better Workplace. Massey University 2001.

12. Kryger, Tony. Trends in unemployment and underemployment. (Labour Market Papers, Parliamentary research Service, Subject Collection No 2) Canberra, Australian Government Publishing Service 1995.

13. Linda Rosenman and Jeni Warburton. Restructuring Australian retirement incomes: Implications of changing work and retirement patterns. International Social Security Review 4/96.

14. Judy McGregor and Lance Gray. Mature job-seekers in New Zealand. Massey University Palmerston North 2001.

15. Gee, Susan. Experience of a lifetime: Older New Zealanders as volunteers. Victoria University of Wellington 2001.

16. Statistics New Zealand. Census 2001 Snapshot 9: Older People.

17. Gee, Susan as per footnote 15.