News & Blog

Anna Fifield – Editor, The Dominion Post Anna is the Editor of The Dominion Post based in Wellington. Previously, she was the Beijing bureau chief for The Washington Post and she focused her attention on news and issues of Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. She has been to North Korea a dozen times. You can watch

Connection brings a sense of wellbeing full of positive implications: fulfilment, belonging, happiness, even oneness with the world around us… But what happens when life circumstances disconnect us? “We all need connection to other humans,” SockHwee says gently. When humans become disconnected from others, their sense of wellbeing often fades and their overall health is

MEDIA RELEASE Wellington (Monday, 14 March 2022) – Almost two-thirds of Wellington’s senior population are currently staying home as much as possible, according to a new survey by Age Concern Wellington Region (ACWR). Age Concern wanted to discover more about what was happening for seniors as large numbers of the population begin to be impacted

Listen to Social Connection Coordinator Kirsten Blyde and CEO Stephen Opie share a bit more about Age Concern Wellington Region.   https://download.accessradio.org/StationFolder/war/20220316%20Catching%20up.mp3

Volunteer Mick Calder writes about the current trend of moving way from the term ‘elderly’ There is an ongoing global debate about describing older people as a group. The trouble is in finding a satisfactory word to refer to a very heterogeneous collection of citizens over the age of 65 years. As soon as you

“I was 13 when Edmund Hillary came to speak at my high-school. He described the Himalayas and talked about his experiences, and I wondered if I’d ever manage to get there.” Sir Edmund started a dream for Catherine, and she’s been there 16 times since then. Catherine has trekked through 53 other countries, but her

If you ring Age Concern Wellington Region (ACWR), more often than not, Ann Dalziel will respond. She is the “go-to” person at ACWR who will most likely be able to help you. She is a patient listener, and as a last resort, has a list of contacts that rivals the Yellow Pages (remember them?). During

Most older people are probably not aware that they are victims of Sarcopenia, but are likely to be aware of its effects. A quick online ‘consultation with Doctor Google’ will advise that Sarcopenia is the fancy medical term for muscle wasting – general loss of muscle mass, strength and function which is a consequence of

Age Concern recently hosted a beading session under instruction from Canbead volunteers at the Linden Community Hub with 24 people attending including Stephen Opie and Kirsten Blyde from Age Concern. The Community Hub meeting is a monthly gathering following the regular Steady as You Go sessions. CanBead was inspired by Sarah Clifford who was given

The Visitor Service is just one of the various services operated by Age Concern Wellington Region to provide companionship to older people who experience loneliness and not only like a visit from a friendly volunteer but also enjoy the prospect of the weekly visit. Eva Dugaro is one of many community-minded people who provide this

Volunteers are at the heart of Age Concern Wellington Region’s work. Without these volunteers, hundreds of seniors across the Wellington Region wouldn’t receive a weekly visit, dozens of seniors wouldn’t go out for a weekly walk, and many more seniors would miss out on other great social connections. These volunteers give hours and hours of

Understanding Dementia Do you want to get a better understanding of the issues surrounding dementia – one of the major health issues of the 21st century? A Tasmanian MOOC could help! The Wicking Dementia Centre based in the University of Tasmania is offering a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), about the latest in dementia research