Report: Older Māori and aged residential care in Aotearoa | Ngā kaumātua me te mahi tauwhiro i Aotearoa

(View related media release in English and te reo Māori here)

In order to better understand, raise awareness of and start discussion about the quality of care for Māori in aged residential care (ARC) the Health Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission) commissioned a report: Older Māori and aged residential care in Aotearoa: Report prepared for Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand. A copy can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

The report was developed by Joanna Hikaka and Ngaire Kerse, who are to be congratulated for delivering this powerful report, in a short period of time.

The report presents information gathered from published literature, supported by thoughts from Māori and non-Māori who work and research in the ARC sector. The report combines professional experience with personal whānau experiences of Māori realities of ageing and ARC.

The authors have made some key recommendations for ARC. However, their recommendations are relevant well beyond ARC, and can equally apply to all health services.

The Commission encourages a focus on the following recommendations, which we have drawn from the report, not only for ARC, but right across our health system.

• Pro-equity policy and monitoring at all levels, and across all services, is required.
• Commissioning for services must put quality first. This means enabling care delivery that puts the person and their whānau in the centre, that accommodates more than just clinical needs, and that is flexible across localities and across different groups.
• We need to incorporate tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and Māori cultural values into care models in an authentic way with the involvement, and resourcing, of appropriate expertise. We need kaumātua-led and Māori-led models of care, and other kaupapa Māori care models that provide options for Māori. We also have to recognise the diversity of Māori and that appropriate models of care will vary for different regions, different whānau and individuals, and are likely to change as different cohorts of Māori age.
• We need a workforce that can deliver culturally safe care to Māori, and where both clinical and cultural skills are valued and appropriately remunerated.
• Useful resources for kaumātua and whānau.

We have useful resources for kaumātua and whānau thinking about their future needs and care. Advance care planning tools and resources in English and te reo Māori can be found here.

You can also contact us here.