Aged Care Conference Looks to the Future

NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL OF CHRISTIAN SOCIAL SERVICES

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release – Wednesday April 19 2006

Aged Care Conference Looks to the Future

Aged care providers from across New Zealand are to be challenged to look to the future at a national conference to be held in Dunedin this week.

The biennial conference, being convened by the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS), will be putting a series of questions to participants to ponder.

NZCCSS Vice President, Gillian Bremner, says the aged care sector has changed dramatically in recent years, with complex issues that need to be confronted.

“We’ll be thinking about what services for older New Zealanders will look like. The opening session will fast-forward ten years and pose some possible scenarios in the changing landscape of services for older people in a provocative and visionary way, with NZCCSS representatives responding to where they are on that landscape for the future,” Mrs Bremner says.

“We’re bringing together managers, executives, senior staff and board members from our members, as well as key policy makers from central government and District Health Boards and providing them with a thought-provoking but entertaining mix of issues. It’s about being realistic, being strategic, but being grounded in providing the best services for people in our care,”
Mrs Bremner noted.

“This year the Minister for Health, Hon Pete Hodgson, is billed to speak at the final session where he has agreed to address some of the issues that arise during the conference– he’ll follow this by adjudicating a debate on ‘the future for older people has never looked so ROSY”. This will give the 200 plus people attending a chance to think seriously about the big issues while ending the conference on a lighter note.”

Three internationally-renowned guests headline the conference. Dr Penny Flett, a noted gerontologist from Perth, will address the conference on the challenges that our ageing population brings with large numbers and great expectations. In her address titled “Coming, ready or not” she will explore the inevitability of transformation of our services for older people if we are to enjoy a happily ageing society. Leading advocate for older people, Anne Cross, from Brisbane, will highlight the importance of valuing people as they age and New Zealander John Anderson, founder of Contiki Holidays, will provide participants with an early-morning motivational presentation.

ENDS

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