The newly appointed general manager of social services at Presbyterian Support East Coast is calling on the Government to provide more access to community services to support older people in their homes.
Mary Wills has recently stepped into the management role at PSEC, a leading not-for-profit service for older people, family violence prevention and people with a disability in Hawke's Bay and Tairawhiti.
"We need to value our older people more", said Mrs Wills. "They deserve more than lip service and tokenism".
Investing in older people also saves money by preventing hospital admissions and delaying the need for residential care.
"Everybody wins when we invest wisely in our older people", said Mrs Wills.