By AUT Pacific
It is Fijian Language Week in Aotearoa New Zealand, and to celebrate, Auckland University of Technology (AUT) has launched the Fiji episode in its Pacific language video series – “Adapting to a changing world, shaping resilient futures”.
Narrated in Fijian (with English subtitles) by an 18-year-old-girl speaking to her grandparents, the video puts the spotlight on the older Pacific population and the collaborative research being carried out through the Healthy Pacific Grandparents’ project, as part of AUT’s Pacific Islands Families Study (PIFS).
PIFS director Associate Professor El-Shadan Tautolo said it was critical Pacific grandparents had the resources they needed to ensure they were well looked after.
“Our older Pacific adult population, aged 65 years and over, is growing faster than our younger population, and they’re living longer too,” said Dr Tautolo.
“There are huge challenges to face with ageing, and this project was about working with 100 of our elderly population to find out about their experiences, health and wellbeing, in order to help them develop solutions that make their lives easier as they get older.”
Key study findings:
- Working with older people as co-researchers supported them to identify challenges and develop their own strategies to address them.
- Prioritising foot care screening and maintenance for older people led to improved mobility, independence, and reduced likelihood of going to hospital, and
- There is a need to improve digital literacy of older people and identify digital tools that are helpful for them as they age.
Future video release dates:
•Niue – Sunday, 18 October 18
•Tokelau – Sunday, October 25
To watch each video as it is launched, follow the AUT Pacific on YouTube.
The Healthy Pacific Grandparents’ project is funded by the Ageing Well National Science Challenge.
The Pacific Media Centre collaborates with other AUT news sources.
