Ageing in Your Community

Ageing in Your Community

Ageing in Your Community

Major changes lie ahead as Australia’s aged care reforms roll out.   The Australian government has advised that there will be a number of consultation opportunities for informing the design of the new system.  This is a once in a generation opportunity to inform how our aged care system will look in the future.

COTA Queensland is committed to enabling the voices of people living and working in Queensland, especially people in regional, rural and remote communities to be heard as we transition to the new system and in particular, the new Support in the Home aged care program.

We conducted targeted engagement activities across regional, rural and remote Queensland in 2020-2021.  We wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the supports and services which assist people to remain connected and supported within their communities as they age.

We were particularly interested in people’s experiences of ageing in different communities across Queensland, and the role and contribution of CHSP services given the changes ahead with the new Support in the Home program.

We discovered, not surprisingly, that experiences for people vary greatly.  Some feel well supported within and by their community, with multiple players contributing to their sense of safety and belonging.  Others feel isolated and despondent, fearing their only alternative is to leave their community when they can no longer manage alone.  In some communities we found the CHSP and aged care providers playing a key role in connecting and supporting people.  In other communities, the distance for providers to travel was a major deterrent and residents didn’t feel comfortable not knowing who was coming into their home.

Through this engagement across Queensland, we also started to hear stories of innovation – what communities and providers were doing or exploring in order to better support their older residents.

On this webpage, we will add case studies – videos and stories – that share creative and collaborative approaches to caring for and supporting people to age well within our communities.  We share resources that may support other communities; as well as links to how you can stay informed of the Aged Care Reforms and have your say.  We also include what people shared through our 2020-2021 Ageing in Your Community engagement activities.

Case Studies

  • Ageing in rural and remote communities.

We heard from many Queenslanders telling us of the importance for them of ‘ageing in place’.  Having access to appropriate and timely aged care and support can make all the difference, particularly for people living in rural and remote locations.   In our discussions with people living in a range of communities across Queensland a number of common issues have been highlighted.

  • Current accommodation is often not suitable and few alternatives are available
  • In Home Care services are either not available or difficult to access
  • Access to appropriate and timely health services can be limited
  • Lack of transport is a major factor contributing to social isolation and loneliness
  • It is difficult to recruit staff for aged care services in rural and remote communities
  • It is a challenge for providers to deliver services in some communities, given distances to travel and the ‘thin-ness of the market’

Responding to the challenge.

A number of communities are seeking and developing ways to better support their residents to age in place.   We would like to share some stories of communities across regional rural and remote areas of Queensland on this page and will add to this over time.

We welcome and encourage you to pass the video links, stories and resources on to others.

Case study 1. Bell: A community managed approach to home care.

Prompted by the initial COVID 19 lockdown, a small rural community in the foothills of the Bunya Mountains in South East Queensland established an innovative model for ageing in place. The Bell community is supporting local residents to age well within their community.  They are doing this through the use of self-managed home care packages and support provided by a local workforce which has been developed through this initiative.  COTA Queensland has partnered with the Bell community to develop this short video which tells the story of their community managed approach to home care.

The model they have developed may be applicable in communities facing similar challenges.




Further Case studies will be added.

Resources

Below are links to some resources which you may find helpful.

Ageing in Your Community engagement findings

From August 2020 to June 2021 we engaged with older people and their formal and informal support networks, including service providers, to hear what is important for ageing well in their community.

Below are the findings from that engagement.

Ageing in your Community 2020-2021 Report – coming soon

Get In Touch

If you would like to get in touch, or you have any questions, please contact one of our Project Officers for Community and Stakeholder Engagement:

Paul Gabbert, 07 3316 2913 paul.gabbert@cotaqld.org.au

Sherryn Davies, 07 3316 2916 sherryn.davies@cotaqld.org.au

 

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.

Although funding for this activity has been provided by the Australian Government, the material contained herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Australian Government.