Page 1513 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010
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available to seniors, for example, through Canberra Connect, the Citizens Advice Bureau, COTA’s seniors information line, and the Australian government’s aged care information line. However, we have heard from older people that the sheer number of services and choices makes it difficult to know where to start when searching for information. To overcome this, the ACT seniors information portal is being developed. It will serve as a single point of entry for older people and those supporting them. The portal will provide direct access and links to information about services.
We will continue to maintain a strong community presence at key community events such as the seniors expo, which I had the pleasure to be at this morning, the retirement and lifestyle expo and, of course, the Multicultural Festival. These events provide a perfect opportunity to distribute information and to talk to older Canberrans about what they need and the services available to them.
The ACT public libraries also continue to be a valuable source of information for older people. Libraries not only provide access to books, magazines, music, the internet and newspapers but also are an important hub of information about community events and services, and they provide a safe place to meet friends, socialise or to take part in discussion or reading groups.
This government has many programs that support the health and wellbeing of our older people. We promote a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and good nutrition, through programs such as “find thirty,” “go for 2&5,” and the “keep moving” campaigns, the latter being aimed specifically at older Canberrans through a partnership between ACT Health and Sport and Recreation ACT. A new GP aged care service, expected to be up and running by July of this year, will provide primary healthcare services to elderly residents of aged care facilities or residents who are housebound.
In our discussions with older people, we heard that many older people do not feel respected or included within their community. Older Canberrans have provided a lifetime of service to family and community and continue to play important roles as carers, friends, neighbours, volunteers, workers and consumers. Many older people continue to assist family members in their roles as grandparents by providing childcare and social support. For this we owe them our thanks and respect.
We heard from our colleague Ms Porter just yesterday about the valuable contribution older people make to our community through volunteering. She highlighted the contribution volunteers make to the community by promoting social inclusion and reducing social isolation.
The life reflections photographic competition showcases the vitality and energy of Canberra’s seniors and the significant contribution they make to our community. The competition continues to grow in profile. In 2008, we had 63 entries, and this year we had 209. On Sunday I visited the exhibition, which is currently in the Canberra Centre, and was delighted by the variety of images showing older people actively participating in our community as volunteers, through sports events, and enjoying life with their families and friends. I encourage you all to take the time to see that important exhibition.
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