Spokeswoman Margaret Pittaway said in a statement thatwhile the strategy set out a worthy set of goals for the health and wellbeing of older adults in the next 10 years, it did not give appropriate attention to "the special and unique challenges of ageing in rural areas".
In its submission Rural Women New Zealand said there were ongoing barriers to access to older adult health services in rural areas, along with health disparities.
It said there was a distinct lack of primary healthcare services in rural areas.