A type of lady's corset? Support for Older People

Abstract

'Older people need support.' What sense do older people themselves make of this apparently simple statement? Comments drawn from qualitative research underway with older New Zealanders highlight the gulf between the language of older people and the well-meaning assumptions of primary health care professionals about support needs. These thought-provoking vignettes show it is crucial to delicately negotiate the ways that support is offered and delivered to people who have long achieved the autonomy and self-sufficiency prized in Western societies.