Establishing a Work Programme to Improve Health Outcomes for Older People
Ministry of Health
Publisher: New Zealand Government
Official data
Official primary
August 2026
Next review not yet scheduled
New Zealand
High confidence
published
SNZ editorial review
Evidence boundary: This record summarises the cited source. It does not establish local availability, individual eligibility, or professional advice.
Short Answer
This Cabinet Social Outcomes Committee paper establishes a work programme on older people's health.
Key Points
- •Government spent more than $2.5 billion on aged-care services in 2023/24.
- •People over 65 account for around half of all primary and community health spending.
- •The average 80-year-old uses ten times more hospital bed days per year than the average 45-year-old.
- •The paper describes aged care as a set of constituent parts rather than a cohesive system built around the individual.
- •Fragmented access can lead people to more intensive and costly levels of care unnecessarily.
Full Summary & Notes
This Cabinet Social Outcomes Committee paper establishes a work programme on older people's health. It records the preference to remain at home, describes the aged-care system as outdated and fragmented, and says the system can be difficult for older people and whānau to navigate. It also warns that navigation failures can lead people to more intensive and costly care unnecessarily.
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