The background paper Impact of Population Ageing on New Zealand on the Demand for Health and Disability Support Services, and Workforce Implications was completed by Justine Cornwall and Judith Davey in June 2003. The paper reviews literature from selected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries on the projected impact of population ageing on health and disability support services and workforce.
The paper also examines the relationship between age and health care and disability support service use in New Zealand, presents projections of demand for these services to 2011 and 2021 and explores the implications of these projections for health sector policy.