2015: REFLECTIONS

COTA Queensland Chief Executive Mark Tucker-Evans reflects on 2015

With 2015 rapidly coming to an end I take a moment to reflect on COTA Queensland’s Board, staff and volunteers many activities and achievements over the past year.

We continue to actively seek recognition of the positive contribution that older people make economically and socially to Queensland.  We are strong advocates for an Age-friendly Queensland promoting intergenerational interactions, to enable people to grow to their fullest capacity, contribute to their communities and have access to appropriate care and support where required.

To inform our policy and advocacy work forums were held in Bundaberg, Maryborough, Gin Gin, Childers, Toowoomba, Cairns, Mackay and Townsville. Over 750 participants identified the issues impacting on them in their regions and helped to develop solutions.

Cost of Living

The reduction in interest rates and rising costs has resulted in tougher times for many older people. Through the work of one of our directors, Robyn Robinson we continued to be actively involved in the energy policy at both state and national level. This is a complex area, and we work with QCOSS and others through their Essential Services Consultative Group to address the issues. 

Transport

Following the election of the Labor Government, under the Transport Portfolio, the Deputy Premier, the Honourable Jackie Trad MP, was charged with the following key priority:

“Conduct a comprehensive expert-led review of the TransLink fare structure within 12 months to determine the optimum fare strategy for South East Queensland that will be fair, affordable, help boost patronage and deliver a sustainable fare revenue stream to allow the network to continue to grow.”

The Deputy Premier directed the Taskforce, which included COTA Queensland, to prepare an Options Paper, to be available for public consultation and feedback, in order to inform Government by January 2016 on changes to be made to the fare system from mid- 2016. 

Health

We continued to auspice the work of Health Consumers Queensland until their three year service agreement with the Department of Health was activated on 1 July.

Older person’s health continues to be an important area of COTA’s work and we participate in the work of the Statewide Older Persons Health Clinical Network and the Queensland Clinical Senate.

I have also been appointed to the Brighton Way Forward Project Steering Committee to provide direction and leadership in developing a vision, service profile, workforce considerations and partnership opportunities for the Brighton Campus, consistent with the Eventide tradition of responding with compassion and care for those most in need.

Earlier this year I was appointed as a member of the Review Panel formed by the Queensland Government to Review the Commissioning of the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital. The Panel’s report was handed down in August.

Housing

COTA is continuing to co-chair the 500 Lives 500 Homes Aged Care working group.

Policy Officer John Stalker represents COTA on the Taskforce on Residential Transition for Ageing Queenslanders and also the Ministerial Working Party on the Review of the Manufactured Homes Act which is nearing the end of its work and a regulatory impact statement will be released in the near future.

COTA Queensland partnered with the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and Spinal Injuries Australia to sponsor the 2015 Robert Jones Oration which promoted Universal Housing Design. 

Social Isolation

A Report is due soon from the University of Adelaide study ‘Emerging from the Shadows’ which looked at effective ways to reduce social isolation. COTA Queensland has been a proud partner in this work along with QUT, et.al.

We have also been involved in the Government’s Tech Savvy Seniors Working Group along with the State Libarary of Queensland and Telstra.

Seniors Week 2015

Queenslanders of all ages connected through 737 events and activities throughout the state celebrate, through activates and events, the many contributions and crucial roles seniors perform within their communities. They engage in paid and voluntary work, utilise their experience and knowledge, and assist their families with caring responsibilities.  It truly was on for young and old.   

Information Sessions

We have delivered  Aged Care Reform information sessions to over 70 different consumer groups for a total of 1330 consumers and 560 services provider staff. There is still much to do and in 2016 we will continue to deliver information sessions on Aged Care Reforms, Consumer Directed Care and will introduce sessions on the NDIS.

Through the support of the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, 30 information sessions were delivered in 2015 to the Sunshine Coast region on Suicide Awareness.  Participants of the session reported:

  •    88% agreed or strongly agreed that they now understood the risk factors for suicide in older people
  •    84% agreed or strongly agreed that  they felt more equipped to talk to someone about suicide
  •   86% agreed or strongly agreed that they were confident they now knew where to find assistance form someone at risk of suicide, and
  •   89% agreed or strongly agreed that  they would share what they have learned about suicide awareness with others

Seniors Peak

Through our Seniors Peak role, we have been working with the 52 state funded seniors organisation’s to inform and build capacity in line with the Older Persons Investment Specifications.

Looking Ahead to Next Year

2016 brings some very exciting opportunities for us.  The IFA  13th Global Conference – Disasters in an ageing world will be held 21-23 June 2016. The conference will bring together people from around the world to discuss the implications and opportunities of ageing. Hundreds of abstracts have been received and more are still coming in. We look forward to welcoming the world to Brisbane and the opportunity to share leading edge thinking on ageing.

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