Future direction of Buller Older Persons’ Health to be outlined at public meeting
Priorities identified by the community and the West Coast District Health Board’s direction of travel for older persons’
health services in Buller will be outlined at a public meeting in Westport next week.
West Coast District Health Board Chief Executive David Meates will present at the meeting, being held at the NBS Theatre
on Thursday 11 June from 1 – 2pm.
Several months of conversations with the public, staff and a stakeholder group have helped the DHB identify
opportunities and priorities, Mr Meates says.
“We wanted to understand all views on how best to care for and support Buller’s older population in the coming years.
These conversations identified key matters that affect the health of our older people including housing, transport, and
social isolation. Also identified was the need for better coordination of and information about services for older
people,” Mr Meates says.
“Our facilities at Kynnersley and Dunsford are in a poor state of repair and there is no further funding available for
fixing them or building new aged residential care facilities. Most older people say they want to live at home and we are
working hard to ensure we can support them to do so for as long as is possible and appropriate. For the small percentage
of older people who at some stage need aged residential care, we have to plan ahead and identify how best their needs
can be met.”
The meeting will outline how the DHB plans to respond to the priorities the community has identified. Anyone with an
interest in the health of older people is welcome to attend.
Buller Older Persons’ Health outcomes
NBS Theatre
Thursday 11 June
1 – 2pm
All welcome
ENDS