ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
Many Indian Weekender readers will be called upon at some time to act as drivers, helpers and carers when elderly relatives have health problems.
Often an elderly relative needs someone to ferry them to and from medical appointments and help out when they are in hospital.
New Zealand First proposes three free doctor’s visits for SuperGold Cardholders as a prevention measure, cutting back the need for hospital care and the demands this puts on the wider family.
A hospital stay puts pressure on everyone. Elderly people may lose their confidence after a lengthy stay in a ward and need more assistance from their family once they return home. There’s also follow up care and treatment required. Once again they may have to rely on close or extended family to help out.
New Zealand still has a caring society in which family members look after their elderly, but our health system needs to be designed so we can treat the elderly before they need hospital care.
We don’t want our elderly sitting at home feeling ill and too worried about cost to go to the doctor. The earlier an illness or injury is diagnosed and treated the better, but the longer it is left the likelihood of needing hospital care rises.
Everyone benefits if our elderly continue living in their own home and they are not worried about medical costs. If their health issues can be treated by a GP they can spend more quality time with their relatives. For adult children, grandchildren and the wider family there are less specific demands on their time. The flexibility to arrange visits and outings with their elderly relatives means a lot for busy working families.
By keeping SuperGold Cardhodlers out of hospital we also contain our health spending. The average for a stay in hospital and the cost to the taxpayer is $10,000.
If the treatment of just one per cent of seniors who take advantage of the free visits keeps them out of hospital there will be no extra cost to the health system.
The three free visits for SuperGold Cardholders are contained in the SuperGold Health Check Bill which is now awaiting passage through Parliament.
All political parties must see the sense of voting for this legislation as free visits will benefit individuals, their families and the economy.
Many Indian Weekender readers will be called upon at some time to act as drivers, helpers and carers when elderly relatives have health problems. Often an elderly relative needs someone to ferry them to and from medical appointments and help out when they are in hospital. New Zealand First...
Many Indian Weekender readers will be called upon at some time to act as drivers, helpers and carers when elderly relatives have health problems.
Often an elderly relative needs someone to ferry them to and from medical appointments and help out when they are in hospital.
New Zealand First proposes three free doctor’s visits for SuperGold Cardholders as a prevention measure, cutting back the need for hospital care and the demands this puts on the wider family.
A hospital stay puts pressure on everyone. Elderly people may lose their confidence after a lengthy stay in a ward and need more assistance from their family once they return home. There’s also follow up care and treatment required. Once again they may have to rely on close or extended family to help out.
New Zealand still has a caring society in which family members look after their elderly, but our health system needs to be designed so we can treat the elderly before they need hospital care.
We don’t want our elderly sitting at home feeling ill and too worried about cost to go to the doctor. The earlier an illness or injury is diagnosed and treated the better, but the longer it is left the likelihood of needing hospital care rises.
Everyone benefits if our elderly continue living in their own home and they are not worried about medical costs. If their health issues can be treated by a GP they can spend more quality time with their relatives. For adult children, grandchildren and the wider family there are less specific demands on their time. The flexibility to arrange visits and outings with their elderly relatives means a lot for busy working families.
By keeping SuperGold Cardhodlers out of hospital we also contain our health spending. The average for a stay in hospital and the cost to the taxpayer is $10,000.
If the treatment of just one per cent of seniors who take advantage of the free visits keeps them out of hospital there will be no extra cost to the health system.
The three free visits for SuperGold Cardholders are contained in the SuperGold Health Check Bill which is now awaiting passage through Parliament.
All political parties must see the sense of voting for this legislation as free visits will benefit individuals, their families and the economy.
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