A 239 km drive each day, just to see his wife. Chemistry highlights the plight of NZ’s aged care sector with ‘The Long Drive’ campaign

September 30 2026, 2:50 pm | BY Ricki Green | No Comments

In partnership with The Aged Care Association and Anthem, Chemistry has delivered another powerful campaign to try and bring about change for our aged care sector. This time around, it’s based on the heartbreaking insight that many older New Zealanders are driving hundreds of kilometres, just to see their husband or wife. This is due to the closing down of multiple aged care facilities in local communities, forcing families to send their loved ones away for care.

 

In a bid to raise public awareness of the very real consequences of losing access to aged residential care close to home, The Long Drive highlights the extraordinary distances some New Zealand families must travel to remain connected to their loved ones.

Spanning outdoor advertising, print, radio and digital, the campaign also features a powerful activation involving older New Zealanders hitchhiking. Standing on a busy Auckland road holding signs that simply read ‘Take me to my wife/husband’, the participants captured the attention of passers-by, who stopped to hear their stories. The activation brings to life the human impact of a system that is increasingly separating older New Zealanders from the people and communities they love.

A 239 km drive each day, just to see his wife. Chemistry highlights the plight of NZ’s aged care sector with ‘The Long Drive’ campaign

Says The Hon. Tracey Martin, Chief Executive of the Aged Care Association: “Every New Zealander should be able to access aged residential care in the community where they have lived and are loved. But increasingly, that is not the reality for many older people and their families.

“The Long Drive is about making sure New Zealanders understand what is quietly happening to families across our country. These are not isolated experiences. We want New Zealanders to understand what is at stake, to recognise that aged residential care is an essential part of our health system and to ask those seeking to represent them what they will do about it. Getting older should not mean being forced to leave behind the people and communities you love simply because the care you need is no longer available close to home”.

Says Sarah Chernishov, co-ECD, Chemistry: “Driving for hours every day sucks for anyone, let alone people in their 80s and 90s. And while most of us do it for roadies or holidays, these guys are doing it simply to be with their life partner. It’s just not right. It’s genuinely a privilege to play our part in trying to help.”

A 239 km drive each day, just to see his wife. Chemistry highlights the plight of NZ’s aged care sector with ‘The Long Drive’ campaign A 239 km drive each day, just to see his wife. Chemistry highlights the plight of NZ’s aged care sector with ‘The Long Drive’ campaign

Central to the campaign is a bespoke landing page, where New Zealanders can read case studies from real people impacted by the crisis. The site also makes it easy for them to email their local MP, sharing their concerns and demanding action from the government.

 

A 239 km drive each day, just to see his wife. Chemistry highlights the plight of NZ’s aged care sector with ‘The Long Drive’ campaign

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