Ageing in Regional, Rural and Remote Australia: Does it need different policy solutions?
When: 17 May 2011
Speakers at this forum included Professor Jeni Warburton (La Trobe University), Helen Hopkins (National Rural Health Alliance), Shadow Minister for Ageing, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Rosemary Young (Frontier Services), Anthony Brown (University W. Sydney), Rosemary Huxtable (Dept Health & Ageing) and COTA staff who are involved in delivering programs into rural, regional and remote areas of Australia.
Three clear themes were apparent from the forum:
There needs to be a more flexible approach by Governments to allow communities and service providers to use available funding to design a suite of services to best meet their particular needs.
More community based transport options are needed which will allow people to continue to be socially engaged as well as access services, particularly health services.
More attention needs to be paid by COTA and government at all levels to building and maintaining social capital and connection between people living in rural communities and with their broader networks of family and friends.