For the Long Run: Check-In

New Zealanders are living longer, and that is something to celebrate.

Earlier this year, just under 30,000 older New Zealanders took part in the Healthy Ageing Pulse Survey, sharing what helps them age well and where practical barriers can get in the way. Those insights have shaped the For the Long Run Report, which brings together lived experience, economic evidence and the Forum’s Five Pledges to support practical action by decision-makers.

They have also reinforced that action cannot wait until people are in crisis. The years after 65 can be an important time to plan, adapt, find support and take practical steps that protect wellbeing and independence, to make sure people are supported to keep doing the things that matter as they age.

For one person, that might mean staying in the home they love. For another, it might be caring for mokopuna, working a few days a week, volunteering, walking to the shops, meeting friends, being part of their marae, getting into the garden, or having the confidence and support to make their own choices.

The Long Run Check-In is a simple way to think about the life you want to keep living, what might make that harder, and one practical step you could take sooner rather than later.

It is not about having everything sorted. It is about taking a moment to think ahead, while there is still time to plan, adapt and make choices.

Take a few minutes to reflect on these questions:

• What do I want to keep doing in the years ahead?
• What might make that harder over time?
• What is one practical thing I could do sooner rather than later?
• Who could help me with that?
• What support, service or system would make it easier?

You might want to write your answers down, talk them through with someone you trust, or use them to start a conversation with whānau, friends, a health professional, a community organisation or another support service.