jennifer45

Just wondered if this was the case in NZ.
"A poll of 1,200 people aged over 60 showed one in five misses a meal while two-fifths are struggling to afford essential items and are cutting back on electricity and gas and socialising.

Older people are not confident the Government will help them deal with the current recession and many are going to extreme measures to cope, putting their health at risk, Age Concern and Help the Aged said.

Are they the invisible, unwanted, nuisance they appear to be in the UK, once their baby-sitting/child minding days are over?

sr71

I think NZ is more family orientated and people in generally tend to look after their old people better, but I don't think the government/councils do as much as they do back in the UK.

eddie_nz

Considering how much various goverments have ****ed around with pensions..

I'd give it a no

Gill and Rob

The philospohy seems quite different to the UK, many older people move in to retirement villages, where they purchase, under a lience to occupy a unit to live in. Access to residential and nursing home care is mean tested.

http://radiusresidential.co.nz/villages.html

Gill

eddie_nz

when you drive past them and they have a for sale sign outside

you just know its 'one carefull now dead owner'

Bo-Jangles

I don't know about looking after, there has been quite a few reports recently of abuse and attacks on people in rest homes.

Carer accused of sellotaping an elderly lady's mouth to keep her quiet:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10566811

This poor old fella bashed:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10566032

Underfunded, understaffed:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10563144