Cultural considerations when caring for kaumātua

Providing safe high-quality care requires health professionals to include and respect the unique cultural needs of diverse peoples.

This video series supports health professionals working with kaumātua (Māori older adults) and their whānau in aged residential care and other care settings.

Each video introduces a key concept to support holistic, strengths-based care for kaumātua.

Topics covered: 

• Māori identity and strengths-based approaches,
• whanaungatanga (establishing relationships) and whānau,
• mana (dignity, prestige) and manaakitanga (hospitality, kindness, respect),
•  tapu (sacredness), noa (balance) and whakamā (shame)
• holistic care.

Each video encourages reflection and gives practical examples of how tikanga (cultural practices) can be woven into your work.

Use these resources to:

• support reflection and learning in team settings
• strengthen communication and care planning with kaumātua and their whānau
• guide practice in ways that uphold tikanga and promote culturally safe care.

The videos complement the Frailty care guides | Ngā aratohu maimoa hauwarea, which include mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and cultural concepts relevant to caring for kaumātua. Patumahoe Leaf-Wright who provided the te ao Māori guidance in the frailty care guides was a key contributor to these videos.

See the Frailty care guides

An introduction to caring for kaumātua

Download accessible transcript (DOCX 25KB)

Māori identity and strength-based approaches

Download accessible transcript (DOCX 23KB)

Whanaungatanga and Whānau

Download accessible transcript (DOCX 25KB)

Mana and Manaakitanga

Download accessible transcript (DOCX 24KB)

Tapu and noa, whakamā

Download accessible transcript (DOCX 25KB)

Holistic care

Download accessible transcript (DOCX 25KB)