Presenter(s):
Karen Billings-Jensen, Age Concern New Zealand, New Zealand
Abstract
Following the IFA conference in Bangkok in 2022, Karen Billings-Jensen from Age Concern New Zealand (ANCZ) and Diane Turner from the Office for Seniors (OFS) returned to New Zealand keen to see the establishment of a broader New Zealand response to the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing.
This paper explores the work since that conference and the establishment of a National Forum and engagement across the older persons sector in New Zealand.
A critical component of the initiative has been the involvement of The Selwyn Foundation who have taken a leadership role in establishing the National Forum and funding a secretariat and coordination work alongside ACNZ and OFS.
A wider leadership group has been established alongside over 30 forum members who have been engaged in the development of a strategic plan until 2030 and the first action plan until 30 July 2026.
The focus and intention are about shaping policy and practice to ensure generational certainty by:
• Driving a uniquely all-of-sector approach supporting collaboration across government, public and private sector, iwi Māori and wider communities
• Promoting active engagement in society so people live longer and healthier lives
• Inspiring a platform for optimistic collaborative action, innovation and meaningful change, that enables a longevity dividend
With a uniquely New Zealand framework, which inspires our Moemoeā/Vision; our Whanonga Pono/Values and our Kaupapa/Purpose, we have collectively developed exciting plan has two outcomes and three strategic priorities which all reflect the UN Decade themes.
This paper will set out the development of the strategic and action plans, explore the over-arching outcomes that have been developed, and the resulting key priority areas, and the subsequent achievements, actions, outputs and measures.
Bio(s):
Karen is the Chief Executive of Age Concern New Zealand. She joined the charity in March 2022 and draws from nearly 30 years of experience in managing and delivering services across the New Zealand not-for-profit sector. A social worker by training, she champions the wellbeing, rights, respect, and dignity of older people and supports local Age Concern services across communities, delivers national advocacy, and represents key topics impacting older people in the media. In addition, Karen works in partnership with key stakeholders across the sector, including the Aged Care and Disability service providers, to ensure that the vision of Better Later Life is achieved for all. Karen’s work at Age Concern currently focuses on critical areas impacting older people including housing and age friendly communities and design, income and cost of living impacts, health services and access, loneliness and social connection, and elder abuse and neglect prevention.
