Introduction

New Zealand is still a relatively young country, but by 2026 it is anticipated that 20 per cent of its projected population of 4.7 million will be over the age of 65, the currently adopted definition of being an ‘older person’. By 2051 the number of people over 85 years and older is expected to increase and will make up 22 per cent of all New Zealanders aged 65 years and over. Statistics from 2010 show New Zealand has a population of 4.39 million, the majority of whom are Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent). The most recent (2006) census records 15 per cent of the population as Maori, 9 per cent as Asian, and 7 per cent as Pacific peoples (OECD, 2010).

In New Zealand, long-term care is treated as part of the general healthcare system. All permanent residents are eligible for services but criteria for accessing services exist and generally involve means assessment to determine individual eligibility; the family (apart from the person’s spouse / partner) is not required to make a contribution. Long-term publicly funded care includes community support and aged residential care. For older people, community support consists mostly of home-based support services which include personal care (such as dressing, showering and medication management), household support (such as cleaning and meal preparation), equipment to help with safety at home, carer support and respite care. Specialist and therapy services may be available also, according to assessed need. Aged residential care is defined as long-term care hospitals/specialist hospitals (psychogeriatric), specialist dementia units and rest homes. Home-based services are provided with the aim of meeting the expectation of most New Zealanders to remain in their homes and also delaying entry into aged residential care (Ministry of Health, 2002).