Community Networks - a trading arm of the Alpine Community Development Trust - has engaged Maire Matheson, of Hawea Flat, to carry out a needs analysis for the elderly in the Upper Clutha.
Mrs Matheson works in the social services sector and is doing the study as part of a field work placement for her University of Otago studies.
The need for an analysis of elderly services in the area was identified at a meeting last year of representatives from various support groups and social service organisations in the Upper Clutha, Community Networks manager Shirley Boyes said.
Community Networks had then incorporated the proposed study into its strategic plan and gained funding from the Elsie and Ray Armstrong Charitable Trust.
The primary objective of the study was to determine whether the services in the area were meeting the current and future needs of the elderly and to ‘‘fill in the gaps'', Mrs Matheson said.
‘‘We know there are gaps because I've identified some already. I am really interested in the gaps because quite often you can have services but there are still gaps in them.''
She has also been researching what services already exist locally and regionally, who funds the services and to what level, whether any existing services are being duplicated and what the demand for services will be in the next 10 years.
The study has been under way for about three weeks and Mrs Matheson has been busy interviewing providers of services the elderly may use, professionals who work with the elderly and a large number of elderly people also.
She has attended Senior Citizens meetings and visited Elmslie House and will also be door-knocking in order to canvass as much of the older sector of the community as possible.
‘‘She's been building up quite a rapport with some of the elderly,'' Mrs Boyes said.
Mrs Matheson hoped to complete her research towards the end of June. Then she would report to the trust.
‘‘We'll take it from there and see how we can access funding to bring any of the services in that there's been an identified need for,'' Mrs Boyes said.
A big part of the research was putting the information out there so people knew what was available, Mrs Matheson said.
‘‘Unless you use those services at some stage in your life then quite often you won't know what's available.''
She said the study was also a good way of determining how up-to-date resources were.
‘‘It's easy to have pamphlets and say all the needs are being met. But are these services still running? Are they attainable?''
She said the growth in the Wanaka community had made the study necessary.
‘‘The population is growing so fast that it's going to be an ongoing concern to have the services here.''
- To have some input into the needs analysis for the elderly in the Upper Clutha, phone (03) 443-7799.
