The Evidence

The Northern Rivers Regional Development Board Working Paper No 1 on Ageing Research, April 2005 discusses the Impacts of an Ageing and Retiring Population on Regional Employment and Unemployment and the Impacts of an Ageing Population on Business Attraction.

The report identifies a number of Issues that will face the community;

• The ability of the region to continue to attract a skilled younger workforce
• Pressure on stretched services due to the impact of Retirement Migration and the existing significant ageing population.
• Regional impact of the demographic shift in population to an older base with predominantly a low socio economic capacity
• Retention of older people and experienced people in the workforce
• Planning for the future
• Residential Care Bed Numbers and Viability
• Implications of the dementia epidemic
• The ability for the region to offer affordable services in the home
• Planning and housing design factors to cater for an ageing population.
• Mobility of an older population
• Cultural travel requirements of an indigenous population
• Balancing volunteerism and paid work
• Regional strategies to minimise isolation of older people through provision of adequate services.

( The combined effect of increasing lack of family and support networks, increasing difficulty of organisations to attract volunteers and the Australian Governments ageing in place emphasis have a potentially significant impact on older people.)

In February 2005 undertook a regional consultation process. This consultation process involved consultation with a range of stakeholders including Aged and Disability services from Clarence Valley to Tweed Heads. The Aged and Disability services involved in the consultations included government, non-government, not for profit, private operators, planners and policy makers. The consultations sought identification of the issues affecting people who are ageing and being cared for or living at home within our community on the Far North Coast.

The consultations concluded with a number of issues affecting older people and those service providers who deliver services to older people.

Issues affecting the Aged Community on the North Coast are identified as Access to:

• Affordable housing
• Transport
• Information
• Appropriate and adequate services to minimise social isolation and lessen the impact of no family or support networks.
• Affordable service delivery
• Appropriate financial resources
• Appropriate service delivery for older people with complex diagnosis
• A safe environment
• Support for carers
• Culturally appropriate services

Issues affecting services delivering service to the aged were identified as:

• Community based management
• Networking
• Service restrictions
• Dual diagnosis

Demographic data show that the rapid growth particularly in the aged population is due to net inward migration. The main growth is happening in the Tweed, Ballina and Byron regions. The consultations identified that Older people where often moving to the region without family or support networks. This raised a number of issues in relation to access. Older people are often confused about what health and community services are available to suit their needs. There is limited access to services that offer advocacy or futures planning. The government’s policies in relation to ageing in place pose significant issues for the Far North Coast where the aged population is significantly financially disadvantaged, there is minimal or no public transport and the increasing demand on community services to offer services to those with higher need. Department of planning predictions demonstrate that by 2031 the dependency ratio will be 84.9 for every 100 people working. This can only impact negatively on the mobility of older people within the region and impact significantly on their social isolation.

Elder abuse and neglect is a serious and prevalent problem. Older people are abused when they are victims of any pattern of behaviour, which causes physical, psychological, sexual or financial harm or neglect. The Australian Society of Geriatric Medicine reported in September 2003 that ‘Elder abuse is not a new problem; however, until recently it has gone largely unrecognised in Australia. It is one of the last forms of familial violence to come to public attention.

The Aged interagency on the Far North Coast identified that there aren’t any coordinated and effective local responses to handling instances of elder abuse.

Current and Proposed NRSDC Actions

The Elder Abuse Prevention Project - aims to develop a framework for identifying, responding and/or intervening in situations where older people are considered at risk of abuse, enhance the capacity of an existing crisis telephone service for identification and referral of abuse, through education build the capacity of service providers and the community to deal with situations of elder abuse and implement a community awareness campaign to raise awareness and support of Older people at risk of abuse.

Creation of Aboriginal Equity Working party – A group of service providers aimed at identifying the issues in relation access to mainstream services of aboriginal peoples and recommendations for a model of service provision.

Aboriginal Cross Cultural Awareness Training Program delivered to social and welfare sector - Increase the awareness of mainstream service providers in providing culturally appropriate service to aboriginal people.

Facilitated an Education forum to identify issues and strategies for increasing younger people working in the aged care sector
An ageing Strategy for the Far North Coast - Three key regional organisations (NRRDB/NRSDC/NOROC) agreed to work together to seek funding to develop an ageing strategy for the Far North Coast.

DADHC HACC DO Planning Consultative Group

Ageing Managing Change Now Conference

Sources

McReadie, C. (1991) Elder Abuse: an Exploratory Study. London: Age Concern Institute of Gerontology Pillemer, K A & Finkelhor, D. (1988) The prevalence of elder abuse: a random sample survey. Gerontologist, 28(1): 51-57 Northern Rivers Regional Development Board Working Paper No 1 on Ageing Research, 2005