Study to look at health needs of older Māori

The University of Waikato in Hamilton has received a government research grant of more than $900,000 to study healthy ageing for Māori communities.

The dean of Waikato’s faculty of Māori and Indigenous studies, Brendan Hokowhitu, will lead a research team that will look at the social, cultural and health needs of older Māori or Kaumātua (people over 55 years).

The researchers will work with the Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust, which was set up in 1997 by a group of Māori elders to provide health and social services for older people.