We're still here

POST-COVID PLANS: Tairawhiti Positive Ageing trustees Jean Johnston, Judy Livingston and Nona Aston advocate for the elderly. Picture by Liam Clayton

Elderly people are facing continuing challenges in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown, the Tairawhiti Positive Ageing Trust has found.

For this reason the trust is establishing a resilience framework to not only help those affected by isolation but also to boost the ability of older people to aid the region's recovery.

The trust hopes that the spotlight thrown on the inequalities experienced by older people during this crisis will bring stronger commitment to working toward social justice, health equity and a positive attitude to ageing and older people in the community.

Trustee Judy Livingston said the basis for a resilience framework had been established with the assistance of a senior citizens' consulting group consisting of attendees at last year's International Day.

This resulted in a plan to offer a series of workshops intending to share useful information promoted by advocacy, health and funeral professionals as well as build confidence to feel braver and resilient as we grow older. It's rather ironic that after the first workshop in early March, the country went into Level 4 lockdown to combat Covid-19.

“What we are now planning on doing is holding a one-day event in November to get people's thoughts on how Covid has affected them. It has changed a lot of people.”

Trustee Nona Aston said many elderly had been separated from family for a very long time over the Covid-19 alert levels.

“I live in Dunblane village and we were in lockdown before lockdown started. On Friday last week, we were allowed into the rest home and many of us met up with friends again. Some of us had lost friends in the lockdown time. It was so joyful to be able to go and sing and dance with them and be with them again.”

Many are still frightened and confused.

“So, we need to rebuild this framework with Covid added in.”

Jean Johnston said older people had a willingness to keep up-to-date and learn new skills, especially in regards to the use of technology. “It just needs a little encouragement and someone who is willing to show them how to manage changes that often enhance their lives such as being able to keep in touch with family and friends.”

The trust was keen to see the region's high school students partner with older people to bring an inter-generational focus on learning new skills.

“We look at those gaps and assess within our community how can we can advocate to address those.”

Nona Aston said an important role of the trust was to tell older people how beautiful and valued they are.

“They are not nothing, they are the world, they are life.”

Beginnings

In 2006, in response to the pending spike in numbers of older people, a community working party of interested individuals and organisations got together to discuss how this region might best support seniors in our region. From that meeting a collective of organisations formulated the first Tairawhiti Positive Ageing Strategy which was adopted by the Gisborne District Council and other key agencies in 2008.

The Tairawhiti Positive Ageing Trust was established in 2009 and has continued to monitor and report on the Strategy's achievements and outcomes.

Over the years the trust has delivered three Senior Expos, a Home and Personal Safety for Older Persons Booklet, a Know Your Neighbour regional campaign, as well as national and local election forums on senior issues.

It has also delivered a series of workshops to support grandparents raising children, and produced a free Tairawhiti Seniors Directory which includes information about senior service providers across the region.

The trust organised Mr and Mrs Tairawhiti Senior events and intergenerational debates.

It has also made submissions to the Gisborne District Council, and members contribute to the Safe Tairawhiti Community Trust and Hauora Tairawhiti forums.

Given their advocacy work, trust members have been surprised that the Government and Gisborne District Council have seemed unwilling to listen to some of their suggestions and submissions. This was especially surprising given the country's rapidly ageing population.

“We are still alive, we are still here,” Nona Aston said. Theirs was a generation “born in war”, that had experienced the 1980s recession and had the “experience and skills to help”.

Another side-effect of Covid was the reduction in older people working in the volunteer sector.

“A lot of the area's agencies have lost their older care workers,” Judy said.

However, there had been positives.

“Older adults have improved their technology skills and gained experience using online platforms, family and intergenerational connections have grown stronger and there is renewed energy to combat social isolation. Many have been touched by the kindness and support of neighbours who kept in contact and helped with shopping.

“One important issue to come out of Covid-19 is that older people have an increased awareness about the importance of advance directives for healthcare, making wills, nominating an enduring power of attorney and other legal matters.

“With the world changing so quickly, due to Covid-19, we will continue with the workshops in 2021. In the meantime we plan a social and learning day in November that values and celebrates how well our seniors are managing this new challenge in their lives. Many of our senior citizens are very happy and enjoy change but there are many suffering and isolating because of it.”

The Tairawhiti Positive Ageing Trust recognise that the global pandemic has severely affected every New Zealander, but maybe none more than older people.

“While the virus leads to worse health outcomes for older people, the pandemic presents a number of challenges to older adults beyond dealing with the virus itself,” Judy said.

“These challenges include a harder time re-entering the workforce; lost retirement savings; disruption/delay in usual social and healthcare services; lasting emotional effects from increased isolation and anxiety, and those with lower incomes being at an increased risk of physical and economic challenges caused by Covid-19.

“While there have been negatives, there have been opportunities for older adults as a result of the pandemic.  Supporting and protecting older people in the community is everyone's business. Although it is not clear what our lives will look like over the next few months or years, we can anticipate both challenges and opportunities emerging as a result of this pandemic.”