Older people

The percentage of Canberrans aged over 65 years is set to double from the 2015 level of 12.2 per cent of total population to 22.5 per cent in 2062.

The Active Ageing Framework 2015-2018 brings to life the Government’s commitment to supporting seniors to be socially connected and active participants in community life through lifelong learning and social and economic engagement. Importantly, the Framework sets out how we will ensure Canberra functions as a sustainable
age-friendly city for the modern world, and covers areas including employment, social participation, community and health services, housing and transportation.

• Events and activities are incorporated into the Seniors Week Program, the ACT Seniors Card Program and their membership databases through a collaboration with, and provision of funding to, community organisations such as the Council on the Ageing ACT. These initiatives provide an opportunity for local seniors to be recognised and assist them to continue to access services and remain active in our community.
• A free service to eligible concession card holders is offered for the collection of bulky waste. The scheme provides a booked waste collection service, where residents may have up to two cubic metres (a standard trailer load) of unwanted items removed from within their property boundary.
• Free ACTION bus travel is offered for over 70s.
• The Career Checkout Expo is an initiative of the Illawarra Retirement Trust Foundation being delivered in partnership with the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Government to provide seniors a one-stop
• shop for planning their future and getting the right advice about working and retirement.
• A flexible transport bus service was launched in September 2014, to provide travel to areas within the ACT to assist their access to shopping centres, get to medical appointments or attend social events such as seniors week.
• Access to dental services is made available at aged care facilities through the mobile dental clinic;
• Opportunities are provided for older people to continue their learning and to socialize through learning programs and activities at ACT libraries such as bridge, arts, board games, knitting and other groups.
• Legislation to support portable long service leave for aged care sector workers has been introduced, to ensure that those who care for our older Canberrans have access to award entitlements available to other workers in the ACT community.
• The annual Life’s Reflections Photographic Competition and Exhibition continues to promote positive community awareness of older people, the importance for older people to maintain healthy and active lifestyles, the importance and the value of intergenerational relationships, and the emerging awareness of Canberra as an age friendly city. The competition is supported by the Government and is now in its 13th year and has maintained a significant profile within the ACT community, has attracted over 1,200 individual photographers of all ages to enter the competition since its inception.

Under the Active Ageing Framework 2015-2018, a range of initiatives will be delivered including:

• An IRT Checkpoint plan pilot to support mature aged workers plan for their encore careers;
• Educating local employers about the benefits of employing mature aged workers, including through distribution of the ACT Business Chamber Mature Age Workers Toolkit to local businesses;
• Ensuring all relevant Government grants programs include a seniors focus in their criteria to promote social inclusion and community connectedness for seniors;
• Computer training courses for seniors and identifying opportunities for intergenerational collaboration aimed at connecting seniors within their communities;
• Working with Government and relevant health services to support initiatives that encourage identification of and responses to elder abuse;
• Include consideration of age friendly strategies, including investigating the feasibility of vertical age-friendly communities in the development of Government facilities.
• Transport initiatives including the development of a cyclist code of conduct, raising awareness of road safety issues for older road users, and identifying options to extend the Flexible Bus Service to meet the specific needs of isolated seniors in future years.
• Affordable Housing for Older People – making available two schemes which broaden the range of affordable housing options for older people. The schemes are consistent with the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Action Plan and increase the range of affordable housing options for older people across tenure and income groups. These scheme are:
  • The Affordable Rental Scheme – a model of mixed public and affordable housing properties for older public housing tenants. The scheme provides an affordable rental product and reduces the amount of rent older people on low incomes are required to pay; and
  • The Lease Licence Scheme – provides a long term affordable lease option for older people who own their own homes and are facing housing affordability issues.
• Extension of the Bulky Waste Collection service for 2016-17. The service will provide a booked bulk waste collection service, where residents may have up to two cubic metres (a standard trailer load) of unwanted items removed from within their property boundary. This service will be at no cost to eligible concession card holders (e.g. those in receipt of Centrelink benefits). This service may be utilised once a year for each eligible rateable residential property including residents of multi-unit developments.

 

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