As disproportionate users of services, older people are more vulnerable to shifts in policy in health care and social support. This paper focuses on older people as a group affected by economic and social restructuring. We summarise the history of support for older New Zealanders in the century prior to 1984, and assess the impacts of the subsequent shifts in social welfare policy up to 1997. Four reference points for appreciating the impacts of these policy changes are suggested: • shifts in general health care and housing policy • the cumulative impacts of restructuring on families and communities • evolving patterns of disability in the older population • the emerging resistance of older people to privatisation. We follow this up with analysis of a case study carried out in the Waikato on the provision of residential and caring services, and describe shifts in the supply of age-targeted housing and community support services. For example, in contrast to the trend towards reduced involvement by the state in residential care (e.g. rest homes), there has been no concerted dis-investment in pensioner housing. Finally we document the emerging resistance of older people to change.