News & Blog

We recently launched the Companion Walking Service. This new service matches volunteers with people over 65 who find it difficult to get out and about on their own. The journey so far! The programme is now receiving referrals from the physiotherapy department, Huntleigh Apartments, Karori as well as relatives contacting Age Concern through the website. We know

This month we are launching our new Companion Walking Service. It’s well-known that exercise relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins, but did you know that walking is one of the best forms of exercise? Walking has been shown to have many benefits – it

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the changes that we’ve experienced over the last decade or so. We now bank, shop and communicate online. We access many services simply by logging in to an online account or social media platform. We also share some of our most important information online — about ourselves, our

When was the last time you volunteered to help someone? How did it make you feel? It’s easy to see the positive impact that volunteers have on others, but we don’t often consider how rewarding it can be for the volunteer themselves to reach out and make a difference in someone’s life. Here are five ways volunteering can benefit seniors

I first came across this hypothesis listening to National Radio, Kim Hill probably, and have since followed it up with some research on the internet – The Grandmother Hypothesis. The idea was posited by G.C. Williams that menopause might be an adaptation that allows older females to redirect their reproductive efforts into increased support of existing offspring – i.e. the

“The Conman who Came to Stay”* was the front-page headline that appeared in the Dominion Post last month. A 77 year old on the run from police charmed his way into several women’s lives and houses and although he promised to pay rent, he never did and they were all left out of pocket. There

1 October is International Day of Older Persons. Councils in our area took the opportunity to promote a range of activities designed to involve, entertain and amuse our older citizens. One of these was an Older Persons Expo in Hutt City. Age Concern Wellington staff arranged a stand to publicise our services and took the

I love to pop out into the garden and do as much as I can while the weather’s nice. And because I always think I won’t be long, I wasn’t in the habit of locking the back door. But you know how it is in the garden, one task always leads to another! So on

In New Zealand Dementia affects some 41,000 people and by 2050 is expected to be nearly 150,000. Mild cognitive impairment is often the first sign that the condition is on the way. A recent study of nearly 2000 over 70’s by the Mayo Clinic in the US looked at how everyday activities could ward of

As people get older, their risk of Type 2 diabetes increases. Like other parts of your body your pancreas can get tired and not produce as much insulin, or it can produce too much but it can’t work properly because of too much extra body weight especially around our middles. Instead of the energy from

I recently had a conversation with Denise Hunter, dental hygienist, around dental care and the elderly. I was quite amazed at how different oral hygiene can be for the elderly. As a starter, appointment times need to be different – not too early in the morning, or late in the evening. The dental chair is