Awards flow for city water team
Council staff share four gongs at industry conference
Palmerston North City Council has received a number of awards for the way it takes care of water. The council’s water team received four awards at the Water Industry Operations Group conference in Hawke’s Bay last month.
Alby Shaw won Operator of the Year. The award is an acknowledgement by industry peers to an individual who has stood out in their efforts to improve themselves, their team or the profession.
Shaw has worked for the council since 2015, when he was hired as an apprentice.
Manager of water and waste operations, Mike Monaghan, says he saw Shaw’s talent from the beginning.
“Alby’s commitment to his work and our community has not gone unnoticed. It’s never too much trouble for Alby to work extra hours to help with urgent repairs,” Monaghan says.
“Alby has honed his handson, practical tradesman skills to become our get-it-done guy. This is why our apprentice scheme is so powerful, as we now have in-house specialists that are far superior to hiring contractors.”
Tama Whatuira and Steve Kinane from the council’s wastewater team came second in the live tapping category, which is where a new water pipe is added to an existing water main without having to disconnect supply.
The project manager for the council’s Nature Calls wastewater project, Melaina Voss, won Best Supplier Paper for her paper that outlined the process for refining options for Palmerston North’s future wastewater treatment and discharge. Palmy’s water also made it into the top three for best tasting drinking water.
The council’s communications team took home an award at the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand Awards, also last month.
The entry focused on the council’s water communications strategy, and how that enabled such a great response last year when the largest water main burst.
What is elder abuse?
Elder Abuse is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.
Elder abuse can by physical, psychological, financial, sexual, neglect, self-neglect and includes institutional abuse.
Elder abuse can happen to men and women of every culture, faith, ethnicity, and socio-economic group. An analysis of data from the New Zealand Longitudinal Study of Ageing concluded that up to 10% of the population aged over 65 years who are living in the community may experience abuse.
Nationally Age Concern Elder Abuse Response Services investigated 2411 cases of elder abuse between 1st July 2019 and 30th of June 2020. Of these cases:
• 75% had abuse substantiated.
• 44% of cases the older person was under 75 years
of age.
• 36% of cases the older person was living alone but
54% live with partners and/or relatives.
• 88% of cases include psychological abuse.
• 44% of cases involve financial abuse.
• 29% of cases involve neglect and self-neglect. • 19% of cases involve physical abuse.
• 79% of alleged abusers were family members of
which 56% were adult children or grandchildren. • 74% of the alleged abusers are aged under 60 and
47% live with the older person.
• 68% of cases the abuse has continued for longer
than 3 months, and 32% longer than a year.
What does Age Concern do to prevent elder abuse and neglect?
Age Concern offers free, confidential, specialist Elder Abuse services throughout most regions of New Zealand. Age Concern organisations work with older people and their family / wha¯ nau to stop abuse, reduce the harm caused and increase understanding to keep all family members safe.
We also provide education about elder abuse and neglect for those working with older people / kauma¯ tua and other interested groups and organisations.
Age Concern works alongside other agencies such as health services, needs assessment services, the police, banks, residential care facilities, iwi, and other community agencies, to ensure the best possible outcome for the older person/ kauma¯ tua.
What can I do if I have concerns about the safety of an older person kauma¯ tua?
Elder abuse is harmful.
Older people are harmed through physical abuse in one in five cases that Age Concerns work with causing deteriorating health. More than two in five Age Concern cases involve financial abuse which reduces living standards and making ends meet. In addition, elder abuse impacts the psychological, social, or spiritual health of older people. Being threatened, manipulated, groomed, coerced, or forced is the horrific experience of abused older people. Even when the abuse stops, the devastation can be long lasting for physical health, financial independence, and emotional wellbeing.
Protect rights of older people.
Even though we are all ageing, ageism is a common form of prejudice and discrimination. Ageist attitudes undermine the voices of older people being listened to. It often starts in our families where older people’s opinions are laughed at and joking about “getting old” tips off the tongue. Older people become invisible and can find themselves being treated differently simply because of their age. When it comes to making choices, older people’s views get written off and choices are overruled. Elder abuse is predicated by ageist attitudes when older people’s needs are disregarded, their rights are not upheld, and they are exploited.
Include older people in decision-making.
Everyone should feel safe and be free from harm and coercion from those they trust. Sadly, this is not always the case; New Zealanders of all ages can find themselves experiencing abuse in one or more of its many forms. For older people it can be abuse from those they know well, such as relatives or friends who may also provide support, advice, care, or companionship. Even when this has been formalized through setting up ‘enduring powers of attorney’ or loan agreements, it can be a trusted relative who excludes older persons from decisions about their own welfare or property. Older people can be victims of family disputes, stopping them seeing grandchildren or having visits from someone they love.
Elder abuse affects our society.
Elder abuse and neglect are intergenerational issues in our society with three quarters of the cases that Age Concerns see involving younger generations abusing older people. While elder abuse is often hidden behind closed doors, in more than nine out of ten of the cases that Age Concerns work with, the older people are living in community settings - not institutions. They are our streets, in our suburbs and towns, and in our families. We experienced fantastic generosity of spirit during the ‘lockdown’ last year and many people made connections with older folk in their neighbourhood or made extra effort to keep in touch with older relatives further away. Unfortunately, this did not stop some older people abused or neglected. Age Concerns worked to support older people throughout that time. In our communities anyone can encounter the greed and self-interest of those who manipulate older people and override the dignity and respect that New Zealanders of any age deserve.
Prevent elder abuse and neglect.
Age Concerns around the country see the harm elder abuse causes in almost ten new cases each working day, so we are committed to raise awareness to prevent elder abuse and neglect. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a great opportunity to learn more about a global concern that affects New Zealanders too. We cannot solve abuse issues in our families and communities if we don’t learn and talk together about why “Elder Abuse hits close to home.”
We can all help to prevent elder abuse and neglect by: • Loving and cherishing older relatives / wha¯ nau. • Phoning, zooming or facetimeing older people /
kauma¯ tua.
• Visit older people / kauma¯ tua in our neighbourhood. • Involving older people / kauma¯ tua in our social
activities.
• Encouraging older people / kauma¯ tua to make their
own decisions.
• Supporting older people / kauma¯ tua to use their
money for their needs.
• Honouring older people’s / kauma¯ tua’s wisdom. • Enabling older people / kauma¯ tua to set their own
pace.
• Speaking respectfully and listening to older people’s
/ kauma¯ tua’s stories.
• Seeking advice from any Age Concern Elder Abuse
Response Service
If you would like Age Concern Palmerston North and Districts staff to provide education about elder abuse and neglect to staff working with older people / kauma¯ tua or you are a member of a group or organisation interested in learning about elder abuse, phone our office on 06 355 2832.
If you have concerns about your safety or the safety of another older person phone our office in confidence. Phone Age Concern Palmerston North on 06 355 2832.