New research shows whānau Māori face barriers in accessing end of life care, due to the sector's inability to respond to cultural needs.
The University of Auckland research, Kia Mau te Kahu Whakamauru, interviewed 21 whānau about their experiences with accessing care, as well as talking to workers within the health sector.
Although there's an increase in older Maori people, the study found there's a low number of tangata whenua going into palliative care services such as hospices.
The lead researcher, Ngāpuhi descendent, Dr Jacquie Kidd, says some in the health sector identified they're not adequately reaching out to tangata whenua.
Dr Kidd, who's a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, says many in the palliative care sector acknowledged that they don't know how to deal with tikanga and whanau Maori.