Date: Thursday 24 March 2011

Caring for older people celebrated by awards

A volunteer flower lady, care givers, a nurse manager, a memory service and a community trust are just some of the 19 finalists in a new awards event to recognise those who care for and support older people in the Waikato.

The Waikato Times Make a Difference Awards will be held tomorrow (Friday 25 March) at Kingsgate Hotel, Hamilton, where the winners of six award categories will be announced and all finalists will be presented with a framed certificate.

The Waikato Times is overall awards sponsor. Other Waikato businesses sponsoring the awards are PAK’nSAVE, BNZ, Waikato District Health Board (DHB), Brandish and Kingsgate Hotel.

The awards are part of Waikato DHB’s workforce development project to turn around outdated public perceptions of aged care and to promote the sector as a rewarding career.

Project manager and awards organiser Bee Pears said public perception of the aged care sector is sometimes based on outdated stereotypes, but the reality is quite different. “It’s a sector that is full of inspiring people – volunteers, staff, managers and the clients themselves.

“There are new approaches to caring for older people that are geared to the individual’s needs, retaining independence and respect, and linking people with families and communities.

“In fact working with older people is an incredibly rewarding job or career for people with the right skills and attitudes. You can really make a difference to their quality of life.

“The Waikato Times Make a Difference Awards recognise the positive people and programmes working with older people across the Waikato.

“Hopefully they will help inspire people to see opportunities for jobs and careers that are skilled, challenging, interesting and very much focused on the future.”

Taking care of the future is also the theme of the 2011 AgeWISE Seminar that precedes the awards event. Over 200 people are attending the seminar and awards.

Speakers at the seminar include Auckland University’s Dr Bruce MacDonald on the potential use of robotics in caring for older people, Waikato University’s Professor Natalie Jackson on our capacity to care for an increased ageing population, and Waikato DHB’s Dr Phil Wood on the role of secondary health in new approaches to older person’s care.

The seminar is sponsored by Waikato DHB, Waikato AgeWISE Advisory Committee, and NZ Association of Gerontology.

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