WINTER 2021 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz Auckland He Manaakitanga Kaumātua Age Concern Auckland o Tāmaki Makaurau Central & West Edition Serving the needs of older people Elder Abuse is not OK. SPEAK OUT and SPEAK UP if you are concerned. For advertising phone Dave 027 652 5220 or email [email protected] A Kiwi Publications Limited publication | www.kiwipublications.co.nz | Please refer to website for disclaimer 2 AGE CONCERN | Serving the needs of older people WINTER 2021 3 Our Services Personal and economical Contact Information Accredited Visiting Service (AVS) – provides IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE, Phone: (09) 820 0184 companionship and support for older people living THE FOLLOWING FREE HELPLINES transport with extra help Email: [email protected] independently in the community by matching them - Total Mobility (TM) accepted Address: 57 Rosebank Road, Avondale, with a regular, volunteer visitor. OPERATE 24/7: Auckland 1026 Call Freedom Drivers for medical, business and Postal Address: PO Box 19542, Ageing Well – delivers a range of free workshops, DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 personal appointments or assistance with shopping. How about a drive with a stop for morning or Avondale, Auckland 1746 seminars, and programmes that are fun, sociable, LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 interactive and promote healthy living. The Health afternoon tea for yourself and a couple of friends? OFFICE HOURS Promotion education sessions are designed to SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666 “We bring our friendly service to your door and we 9.00am - 4.00pm Monday to Friday provide access to health-related information and 1737 NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737 will provide extra help at either end of the journey as services to give older people more control over their needed. For medical appointments we make sure Staff health and wellbeing. MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SERVICES you get to the right place and will wait if necessary Chief Executive Officer or pick you up after the appointment. Travelling with Kevin Lamb 820 0184 Asian Services – ensures that all our services and (for emergencies only): Freedom is like travelling with friends or family. You build a relationship with a driver you get to know and Office Manager/EA to CEO activities are delivered in Mandarin, Cantonese trust.” Martina Huang 820 0184 and Korean and that we provide culturally and Waitemata: (09) 486 8900 Social Connections Manager linguistically appropriate support. We give talks to Service is personalised and Freedom prices are Rebekah Preston 820 2711 Chinese groups and run group activities to promote (operating 24/7) comparable to (and often less) than a standard Social Connections Coordinator positive ageing. taxi. We take Total Mobility cards (TM) and are ACC Lynette Hay 972 3258 Henderson: (09) 822 8601 Registered Vendors. Community Social Worker – social workers are Social Connections Coordinator available to support and assist people aged 65+ Jennie Bradford 820 2714 Central: 0800 800 717 Call 0800 956 956 now with any social, health or wellbeing issues. for more information or a quote. Intervention Services Manager (operating 24/7) Kai Quan 820 2716 Counsellor – provides counselling to older adults Intervention Services Administrator around age related issues such as transitioning TRANSPORT YOU CAN TRUST Julie Mansson 820 2710 to residential care, change in family relationships, Elder Abuse Response Service grief, loss and anxiety. Denisa Diaconescu 281 2379 Anne Foley 820 2715 Elder Abuse Response Service – aims to improve Carol Maharaj 820 2717 the quality of life of older people in abusive Community Social Worker situations and to prevent abuse by providing case Danielle Smith 972 3495 management, free and confidential advice and Health Promotion Coordinator by working with a range of health professionals to Reliable and Alana Marck 553 9936 provide wrap-around support services. friendly service Call now! Manager – Asian Services • Medical appointments Ray Law 820 0271 Total Mobility Scheme – assesses and provides For more information • Social and business trips Asian (Chinese) Service Social Worker Total Mobility Cards to eligible people so they can • Shopping Money Lui 820 2713 receive subsidised taxis when they are no longer When supporting the advertisers within this 0800 956 956 • Sightseeing and outings Asian (Chinese) Services Coordinator able to use public transport. magazine Mandy Ho 281 2984 • Airport transfers Total Mobility ACC Asian (Korean) Services Coordinator • Pets to the vet REGISTERED Provider Young Seo 820 2712 PLEASE DO LET THEM • One off or regular VENDOR Fundraising & Communications Manager • Long trips and local Alexis Sawyers 972 0092 KNOW. Their continuation enables Volunteer Coordinator our newsletter to be provided free of charge - Emah Butler 489 4975 they need to know where you found them and Go to Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are not that the advertising is working for them too. companion driving necessarily those of Age Concern Auckland. The inclusion or www.facebook.com/ageconcernauck/ exclusion of any product does not mean that the publisher or Age Concern advocates or rejects its use. to follow us on Facebook. Thanks www.freedomdrivers.co.nz Editorial supplied by Freedom Drivers 4 AGE CONCERN | Serving the needs of older people WINTER 2021 5 CEO UPDATE While we know that as an organisation we need to courier (in this instance from “Express Couriers”) transaction and are confident you are speaking to the This time a year ago, I was keep moving forward and push ourselves to provide delivers an unexpected gift to you and then asks for organisation you wish to pay. Never share your PIN writing about going back into excellent service, increasing services and staff comes a $3.50 Credit Card ‘delivery/verification’ charge number or passwords – no Business or Bank will ever the office after seven weeks with some risks in our current climate. As a charity because the gift they are delivering contains alcohol. ask for these. of lockdown. While I am sure, dependent on fundraising and community support They outline that the charge is used to verify you are Cheque Payments to Age Concern Auckland we all hoped and expected for 45% of our operating costs we are incredibly over 18. They explain that cash is not accepted as With the phasing out of cheques, we are no longer that we might be further out grateful for the continued support of our donors “couriers don’t carry cash to avoid loss, or because able to accept Kiwibank or ANZ cheques for payment, of the COVID-19 crisis at this and members – every donation helps us provide our they are likely targets for robbery”. After making a we will accept Westpac and BNZ cheques but only point, it is reassuring that services and make a difference, so thank you each credit card payment on a mobile card machine, the until 20th June. we are starting to see some and every one of you. card details are used to withdraw money from various positive signs, especially We are able to accept ASB cheques for payment till Regards, ATM’s. One of the victims told us that while the gift with the opening up of our borders with Australia and was unexpected, everything else felt very credible. 27 August 2021 when ASB will be stopping issuing or Rarotonga. I am sure that for some of you it has led to Kevin Lamb CEO Age Concern Auckland This scam is a reminder to always be wary of paying processing cheques. some wonderful family reunions. an unexpected charge, especially for an unsolicited We can accept cash payments at our North Shore The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine is also a positive service or delivery. and Avondale offices, Internet Banking Payments move forward, and I expect that many of you are Sharing Financial Details directly to our account, payment through our website in the process of being contacted to receive both With the phasing out of cheques, it has become more www.ageconcernauckland.org.nz and you can phone the COVID-19 and the seasonal flu vaccines. I have difficult to pay for goods and services. However, a us on 820 0184 to make a payment by Credit Card. If received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and good rule of thumb is to never share financial details you are having difficulty organising a payment to us, the staff of Age Concern Auckland are on target to be over the phone, (especially those involving your Credit please give us a call so that we can discuss the best vaccinated by the end of June, to ensure that we are Card or Bank Account), unless you have initiated the way for you to make a payment. playing our part in keeping the older people that we are in daily contact with, safe. In June we recognise Elder Abuse Awareness Week. Research has shown that at least 1 in 10 older people will experience some form of elder abuse. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing Bank with abuse, please get in contact with our qualified and We have recently been made aware of a couple of experienced staff. More information on the service, scams, one unfortunately using Age Concern’s name confidence. and what elder abuse might look like, is discussed in and taking advantage of the phasing out of cheque We’re here to help make your the newsletter. payments. everyday banking easier. In June we are also excited to celebrate National One of our members was called by someone claiming Volunteer Week alongside our amazing volunteers. to be from Age Concern, advising them that we are Better Banking Workshop. For many of the people we support, it is a volunteer In-branch workshops to help you no longer accepting cheques as a form of payment set up internet and mobile banking.