Lay summary
Older adults commonly experience sensory impairment due to their eye, hearing or foot health, particularly if they also live with diabetes. Most of this impairment is preventable or treatable, but there are significant inequities in access, management, and health outcomes for Māori and Pacific kaumātua. This project will use a population-based cross-sectional survey to measure the magnitude, social distribution and co-occurrence of diabetes, eye, ear and foot problems for adults in Northland, Counties Manukau, Tairāwhiti and Lakes. We will refer people for relevant healthcare services as required and assess in 6 months whether they were able to access care, key barriers and enablers to engaging with healthcare services and the impact this has on outcomes. The findings will inform the design of whānau-centered, integrated care that reduces the burden on individuals and whānau, improves health outcomes, supports healthy ageing, and prevents inequities.