Join the Conversation: community workshop on living longer in Thames-Coromandel

Our communities are ageing for the first time in history, with more people living longer and contributing to society. By 2028, one million New Zealanders will be aged 65 to 100+, increasing to 1.5 million by 2050. Thames-Coromandel district is at the forefront of this demographic shift, with 34% of the district’s population aged 65 and over, significantly higher than the national average of 16.5%.

To consider this issue, older people in the Thames-Coromandel area are invited to participate in a ‘Community Conversations’ workshop to discuss what this might mean for them and the challenges and opportunities associated with growing older in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The event is the first in a series of Community Conversations sessions to be held around the country and is part of a broader initiative led by the Aotearoa New Zealand National Forum for the Decade of Healthy Ageing | He Oranga Kaumātua, He Oranga Tangata. The National Forum is a collaboration of leading organisations that provide services for and advocate on behalf of older people and their families/whānau.

With key focus areas of combatting ageism and ensuring older people have access to integrated care, the Forum has been established by registered charity The Selwyn Foundation, Office for Seniors and Age Concern New Zealand in response to the global UN Decade of Healthy Ageing which is currently underway.

The Selwyn Foundation’s Chief Executive, Denise Cosgrove, says: “The Aotearoa New Zealand National Forum for the Decade of Healthy Ageing | He Oranga Kaumātua, He Oranga Tangata has been created to give focus to Decade action and to provide a platform for change in local communities in partnership with their older people.

“Through our Community Conversations events, we’re inviting seniors to share their insights on what matters for them in their daily lives, enabling their voices to be heard on this most profound issue – the seismic demographic shift that’s taking place in New Zealand which will impact on and shape the future of our communities in the not-too-distant future.

“We would like to thank Mayor Len Salt and the team at Thames-Coromandel District Council for supporting this opportunity for meaningful dialogue on population ageing and the implications it has for community planning. We encourage the older members of the community to come along, and we look forward to hearing their voices and perspectives as they contribute to this important debate.”

For further information on the Community Conversations event on 11 September, contact decadecommunityconversations@selwynfoundation.org.nz or visit the Facebook Page.  If you’d like to attend, please send an RSVP to isla.anderson@tcdc.govt.nz.