Vision and objectives The workshops and discussions held prior to preparation of this draft Strategy gave us a clear picture of the values and principles we needed to focus on. We formulated the draft vision for this Strategy after careful consideration and analysis of the discussions. The draft vision for this Strategy is that: Older people live well, age well and have a respectful end of life in agefriendly communities. In order to achieve this vision, we need to ensure our policies, funding, planning and service delivery: prioritise healthy ageing and resilience throughout people’s older years enable high-quality acute and restorative care, for effective rehabilitation, recovery and restoration after acute events ensure people can live well with longterm conditions better support people with high and complex needs provide respectful end-of-life care that caters to personal, cultural and spiritual needs. These five outcome areas form the framework for this Strategy. We will set out to achieve our vision in these five areas within a system that, as the New Zealand Health Strategy requires, is people-powered, delivers services closer to home, is designed for value and high performance and works as one team in a smart system. Figure 5: Strategic framework for the health of older people
development and smarter models of working. Primary health and home and community support services are well placed to take a greater role in the care and support of people who need assistance to remain living at home. However, in the case of home care, we could better align service models, funding methods and levels of training, to allow a greater level of involvement. At present, the home and community workforce is fragile. Jobs in this sector are generally characterised by low pay, irregular working hours and variable access to training, which contributes to high staff turnover. We will invest in this workforce, and develop service and funding models that support a sustainable, culturally appropriate and person-centred approach to the support of older people, including people with longterm conditions. Family and whānau Family and whānau carers play a vital role in providing support for older people with long-term conditions. We will ensure that such carers receive the support they need. This will include training and information, as well as respite care so that they can look after their own wellbeing, particularly in relation to their mental health. Family and whānau carers should not be in a position in which they become isolated because of their caring role. Priority populations Long-term conditions contribute to the higher rates of illness, disability and death experienced by Māori, Pacific peoples, people on low incomes and people with disabilities. We will prioritise reducing health inequalities and other adverse outcomes for people with long-term term conditions for those agencies funding and delivering services to this group. Our vision for living well with longterm conditions Improved methods of early detection and prevention mean that fewer older people are affected by long-term conditions or frailty. Older people with long-term conditions retain the highest level of mental and physical function possible; they enjoy life, and their communities respect them. Older people with long-term conditions have a range of tools and primary health care coordination and support to enable them to live well with their conditions. Older people with long-term conditions are ‘health smart’ and are actively their conditions to a practical and comfortable level, making living well with long-term conditions closer to home more accessible. The workforce that supports older people and their families to manage their conditions, including the primary and wider health workforce, home and community support services and family and whānau carers, has appropriate resources, structures and training. Health outcomes for vulnerable older populations with long-term conditions are equitable with outcomes for the population as a whole.
A system of continuous improvement Within the first months after finalising the Strategy, the Ministry of Health will develop an implementation plan with our major partners, setting out the timing, sequencing, responsibilities and resourcing required for achieving the actions. Implementing these actions will rely on skilled leadership, solid partnerships and participation across the system. We need the Strategy to represent a shared vision for the future, and we need to work together to achieve our aims. The health system is, and operates in, a complex and dynamic environment, and operates within a highly networked system with multiple inter-dependencies. We are limited in our ability to predict the future, and we need to be mindful and flexible, and willing to adapt in order to stay on track. This Strategy is therefore a living document. The Ministry of Health will review it every two years. The review will look at delivery of the actions. We may need to adjust some actions, to replace them or to combine them with other initiatives, to strengthen their chance of success. The Ministry of Health and DHBs will be primarily responsible for implementing the Strategy, and regional service plans, annual plans and annual progress reports will reflect the actions set out in the final Strategy. The Ministry will develop systems for ensuring that our programmes and services are informed by and built around the needs and desires of the people they’re designed for. We have a wealth of data and knowledge to inform our next steps, through our investment in interRAI and research initiatives, such as the Ageing Well Science Challenge. In addition, the development of New Zealand’s first health research strategy will help us build a more cohesive and effective health research and innovation system. We need to harness these opportunities to ensure that we make the best use of our information, and improve our understanding of ageing well. Ultimately, we want to ensure that knowledge, information and the investment in and outcomes of research and development inform policy development and service improvement.