Founded by Enable Me’s Hannah McQueen, Brightly is an evidence-led, whole-of-person health service to support older adults to age confidently at home.
Led by a multidisciplinary clinical team, it aims to close a growing gap in elder care in New Zealand. “Too often, the experience of growing older is shaped by avoidable health crises,” Hannah tells Verve. “As a country, I want us to do better, so have set out a completely new model of care.”
How is Brightly different from the traditional healthcare model?
Traditional healthcare usually steps in once something goes wrong. Brightly is a completely new approach which provides a membership model that focuses on prevention, helping identify early signs of risk and symptoms and supporting people before problems develop. We believe in taking the time to get to know all our members well – their health goals, health concerns and their emerging risks.
What does a first visit actually look like?
It starts with a comprehensive whole-of-person health programme led by our geriatrician, hosted by a Brightly nurse and reviewed by our multidisciplinary team. This allows us to get a comprehensive understanding of health needs. Our Brightly Baseline+™ is a five-step programme completed over two weeks. You’ll be assigned your own Brightly care team – a Brightly nurse, GP, geriatrician and health coach – who design your personalised plan. This team is supported by the Brightly multi-disciplinary team working together to identify risks and prevention priorities across your 16 domains of health.
The whole-of-person approach includes, but is not limited to, strength and balance, cognition, nutrition, cardiovascular, respiratory, medication safety, and home environment. Using 100-plus biomarkers and 200-plus data points, Brightly identifies red flags and emerging risks early, building a clear health baseline.
How does Brightly help members stay active, mobile and confident at home?
It starts with a comprehensive whole-of-person health programme led by our geriatrician, hosted by a Brightly nurse and reviewed by our multidisciplinary team. This allows us to get a comprehensive understanding of health needs. Our Brightly Baseline+™ is a five-step programme completed over two weeks. You’ll be assigned your own Brightly care team – a Brightly nurse, GP, geriatrician and health coach – who design your personalised plan. This team is supported by the Brightly multi-disciplinary team working together to identify risks and prevention priorities across your 16 domains of health.
How does Brightly help members stay active, mobile and confident at home?
By identifying risks early – like falls, bone health or mobility issues – we can intervene before they limit independence. Members receive tailored strategies, coaching and support to keep moving safely and confidently. Some may be assessed as high risk requiring urgent intervention and fast access to specialist services. We are reassessing your biomarkers and baseline across the year, to identify improvement and decline early. Then we layer in the right intervention and provide fast access to the right specialist when needed.
Brightly is a completely new approach which provides a membership model that focuses on prevention, helping identify early signs of risk and symptoms and supporting people before problems develop.
Why is this team-based approach so important?
Ageing isn’t one-dimensional. Having geriatricians, GPs, nurses, and allied health professionals such as pharmacists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and psychologists working together means nothing gets missed – and care is coordinated, not fragmented.
What are some of the most common issues you aim to identify early?
Small issues – a medication change, a stumble, feeling less steady, forgetting appointments – can quietly interact and build over time. When these changes go unnoticed or uncoordinated, they can lead to sudden health events or loss of independence much sooner than it needs.
For families supporting ageing parents, how can Brightly provide reassurance and practical support?
Brightly replaces uncertainty with clarity. Families gain a shared understanding of what’s really going on, what matters most, and how to support independence – calmly and proactively.
What feedback have you received so far?
We’ve had incredibly positive feedback from families involved in trialling Brightly ahead of launch, as well as from our first members. Many describe it as a turning point – having a plan, a team, and proactive oversight rather than waiting for the next crisis. Some have said it’s the first time they have felt properly listened to in years.
What’s your long-term vision?
To make proactive, preventative ageing the default – not something people access only once a crisis has occurred. We have ambitious plans and will be expanding our services with additional clinics across New Zealand over the coming months.
For more information visit agebrightly.co.nz
