Māori and the Future of Aged Care w/ Dr Joanna Hikaka: August 24th 2026

New Zealand’s aged-care system is facing calls for major reform, with a new Ministerial Advisory Group report highlighting significant gaps in how older people access and experience care. For Māori, those inequities are particularly stark. Māori with daily care needs are around half as likely as non-Māori to access community-based aged care, and around half as likely to enter residential care. Producer Pranuja spoke to Dr Joanna Hikaka, Director of the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research, about what is driving that disparity, and whether the Government’s proposed overhaul could deliver a more Māori-led and equitable aged-care system.