Surge in volunteers helping the elderly in Horowhenua through Age Concern

Age Concern Horowhenua - Doing Good In Our Hood!!

Age Concern Horowhenua Opens New Premises To Public

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What an amazing day!

Horowhenua is doing itself proud with a massive surge in the number of volunteers signing on with an organisation providing support for the region's large elderly population. The number of volunteers registering with Age Concern has tripled in the past 15 months to more than 60, at a time when support has been more important than ever. Age Concern Horowhenua had 211 referrals of suspected elder abuse in Horowhenua last year, of which more than half were identified as bona fide. In that same time, Age Concern followed up more than 2000 visits or phone calls to people reaching out because they felt isolated or lonely, compounded by the challenges brought about by Covid-19. A quarter of Horowhenua's population was aged 65 or above - much higher than the national average of 15 per cent. Age Concern manager Catherine McAuliffe said it offered support and training for volunteers who helped with a range of programmes and services aimed at keeping the elderly empowered and connected, like driver refresher courses. "We challenge the ageism stigma. There are no rules that say age prevents you from doing things," she said. More than 100 enrolled in fitness courses called Silver Sneakers and Steady as You Go. McAuliffe said some were aged in the 90s and had never been to a gym before. They were now lifting weights. "There are no restrictions," she said. "This is ageing, but how do we change the perspective of ageing and what that looks like?" Age Concern Horowhenua held an Open Day at its Durham St clubrooms this week to showcase the different networks it provided, such as counselling services, a telephone grocery service, and a pet-visiting service. The Open Day coincided with a rebranding of Age Concern and attracted a large number of people, making inquiries and participating in activities such as weaving and a mobility scooter skills time trial. The stopwatch timed contestants weaving through cones before packing some grocery items as quickly as they could. Age Concern has 32 offices around New Zealand.

On July 1, Age Concern NZ had a re-brand launch - changing what they do and how they look – to better reflect the elder population across Aotearoa. To celebrate, Age Concern Horowhenua (ACH) is hosting an Open Day on Monday August 1, from 10am to 2pm, at their office in Durham Street, Levin. Age Concern has been a presence in Horowhenua for about 20 years, following a realisation during the early 2000s that the growing number of elderly people in the district needed more specific, locally-based social and welfare advocacy. Beginning as an Elder Abuse and Welfare co-ordination society in 2001, it soon became obvious that affiliation with Age Concern NZ was the best option for the society, and the first ACH office opened in the Muaūpoko Tribal Authority building in Levin. Later, under the chairmanship of the late Graham Smellie, ACH moved to rooms at the Tararua Medical Centre. Then, in late 2020, ACH was moved to its current location, to be more central and accessible to those who use their services. Manager Catherine McAuliffe said that with the rising demand for their services over the past two years, now is the perfect time to show the community exactly what ACH has to offer. "There has been a 48 per cent increase in people requesting the visiting service alone, and our registered clients have grown by the same percentage," McAuliffe said. Fortunately, there has also been an increase in the number of volunteers, with just over 40 locals now helping out as visitors, and another 20 helping with the exercise and grocery shopping services. McAuliffe believes the increase in demand is partly because ACH has a more visual presence, utilising both Facebook and the Horowhenua Chronicle, as well as a higher rate of referrals from whānau stuck overseas due to the pandemic. "Covid has also created more of an environment of [caring for others]," she said, "so we are hearing from people who think their neighbours could use our services as well." On the downside, McAuliffe said, although Elder Abuse referral figures were about the same as they were before Covid, they are seeing far more complex cases and a lot more financial abuse occurring. This is possibly due to rising living costs, and McAuliffe believes there needs to be more education around safeguarding elder people's finances as well as how to create an Advance Care plan. Be sure to put Age Concern Horowhenua's Open Day on Monday August 1 into your diary and head along to 14 Durham Street, Levin, to enjoy the range of activities planned, as well as some yummy kai. Any enquiries about the Open Day can be directed to ACH's office on 06 3672181 or admin@ageconcernhoro.co.nz

Lion Foundation makes new vehicle possible!

On the 1st December we held our Christmas Function for Members and Volunteers!

With our very own Trish McGregor & Ann Lawrence!