Page 4816 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 27 November 2018
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outcomes. ArtSound will use a grant to provide its Senior Memories radio program to three RSL Life Care facilities. The Belconnen community men’s shed was able to buy a scroll saw for the use of its members. Woden Seniors was able to provide 20 members with skills training in handling food safely for their volunteer roles.
The projects funded through these grant programs are contributing towards older Canberrans being connected and active in their local communities. While most older Canberrans have the access and skills to find information and engage online, there are some older Canberrans who require help with this. Older Canberrans are able to access such support through a number of community and government funded initiatives. Libraries ACT provided 268 technology training sessions to the community, teaching participants to be smart, safe and responsible citizens in the digital world.
The 2017-18 veterans and seniors grants program also funded projects to build older Canberrans’ digital literacy. Through the grant program, COTA ACT were able to deliver the GRIT—getting right into technology—program for seniors. Communities @Work were able to purchase a set of iPads which they are using to build seniors’ skills in using technology while participating in their community garden project. The north Canberra branch of National Seniors was funded to provide technology training.
“Community and health services” was the third priority area under the framework. As evidence of this local commitment, the 2018-19 ACT budget includes an allocation of $640,000 over four years for Legal Aid ACT to establish the Older Persons ACT Legal Service, which will be known as OPALS. OPALS has already commenced operations as a specialist legal service for older people in the ACT who are experiencing, or are vulnerable to, elder abuse. OPALS has also commenced working with agencies and community organisations in the sector to improve community awareness of elder abuse. It is doing this through community legal education and outreach, as well as by improving pathways for clients seeking assistance and support. The government also provided funding of more than $177,000 to COTA ACT for the provision of information, advice and referral of older persons in the ACT community, including in regard to elder abuse.
ACT Health also provides services which build health resilience and independence for older Canberrans. The falls and falls injury prevention program works with individuals and with community organisations to raise awareness of how to prevent falls by older Canberrans. The transitional therapy and care program is a collaboration between ACT Health and BaptistCare NSW and ACT and assists to improve an older person’s functional capacity and independence after a hospital stay.
Importantly, on 16 June this year, the new University of Canberra Hospital was opened. The University of Canberra Hospital is a dedicated and purpose-built rehabilitation facility which includes the Majura inpatient unit. This unit provides targeted rehabilitation for older Canberrans to assist their return to the community. It is very pleasing to be able to report on just how much this government is doing to support health resilience.
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