Guide for health professionals caring for kaumātua | Kupu arataki mō te manaaki kaumātua
Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora
Official guidance
Official primary
2026-10-08
Next review: 2027-04-08
New Zealand
High confidence
verified
Codex research — bundled guide and HQSC publisher source check
Evidence boundary: Publisher page dated 28 August 2023 and the existing 11-page PDF were checked on 8 October 2026. The June 2026 capture remains separate from publication and verification. The complementary video series was published in 2025 and its page modified in June 2026; this does not make the guide a 2026 edition. Apply the guide through conversations with each kaumātua and whānau, not uniform assumptions about Māori care preferences.
Short Answer
An 11-page guide in the 2023 Frailty care guides explaining Māori cultural concepts and practical approaches to assessment, relationships and care planning with kaumātua and whānau.
Key Points
- •The guide uses kaumātua broadly for an elder who identifies as Māori, while acknowledging the traditional leadership role held by some kaumātua.
- •Identity, language, tikanga and experiences vary among individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi and regions; staff should ask and let whānau lead rather than assume shared cultural knowledge.
- •Assessment should recognise strengths and contributions. Practical examples include welcoming whānau and enabling kaumātua to host guests or contribute to the care community.
- •Whānau remain important to cultural identity and spiritual wellbeing when kaumātua live in aged residential care; cultural and spiritual needs belong in care planning.
- •Tapu and noa guidance includes keeping items that touched the head or body away from surfaces used for food, drink or medication, and respecting personal space and privacy.
- •This is a conversation aid rather than a comprehensive cultural resource. HQSC also offers a complementary cultural considerations video series for staff learning.
Full Summary & Notes
An 11-page guide in the 2023 Frailty care guides explaining Māori cultural concepts and practical approaches to assessment, relationships and care planning with kaumātua and whānau. It encourages individual conversations and care that recognises strengths, dignity and spiritual wellbeing.
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Document Details & Metadata
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