News

This article by Senior Research Fellow Mariana Atkins from the Centre for Social Impact at The University of Western Australia , Senior Research Fellow Edgar Liu from Healthy Urban Environments Collaboratory, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney and Professor Bruce Judd, Director of the Australian School of Architecture and Design, UNSW Sydney originally appeared in The Conversation on 31 October, 2022. In response […]

ActiveStrongerBetter is the most exciting new program to promote the health, independence and well-being of older people in the Hunter.  In conjunction with April’s focus on falls and falls injury prevention, we are thrilled to announce the partnership between Novacare and Hunter Ageing Alliance to roll out the ActiveStrongerBetter Program and Campaign across the region. […]

Seniors Rights Service is a community organisation dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights of older people, particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Seniors Rights Service provide free and confidential telephone advice, aged care advocacy and support, legal advice and community information to seniors across New South Wales. Their aged care advocates assist older people who receive […]

From shopping to banking, paying your bills or keeping in touch with family, we’re living more of our lives online. As more services and offerings move to a digital space, it’s important that you feel confident and that your identity and accounts are protected. Download the brochure from the Department of Customer Service aimed at […]

CEO of Maroba Aged Care, and one of the founders of Hunter Ageing Alliance, Viv Alanson was recognised for her outstanding advocacy and support for the Aged Care sector, a sector impacted and challenged more than most others by the COVID pandemic.

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Click to view and download letters from Sharon Claydon MP, Federal member for Newcastle.

Click to view and download letters from Senator The Hon Richard Colbeck.

A recent national survey of 7000 people over 65 living in the community revealed a prevalence of 15%. This is likely to be an underestimate as people are reluctant to admit to abuse and people with cognitive impairment were not included in the survey. In addition, one of the more startling findings of the Royal […]

Aged and Community service providers and care recipients have certainly been through the eye of the Tornado for over two years with Fires, Floods, Hurricanes and a Pandemic with several waves and more to come. Throughout the Royal Commission hearings, it was made very clear that Aged Care was already under duress with Chronic underfunding […]

Hunter Ageing Alliance forms a Reference Group on Housing for Older People There are many existing problems in the housing options available for older people. These include: lack of reasonably priced options for those who do not wish to remain in their own home the increasing number of housing insecure older people, especially women the […]

The Carer Gateway is one of the least known services within aged care, partly perhaps because of its curious name. Carer Gateway is a service whereby carers can find support. Access to carer Gateway is via phone at 1800 422 737 or visit their website http://www.carergateway.gov.au. The services available through Carer Gateway include: coaching regarding […]

Click to view and download letters from Senator Richard Colbeck.

The 2022-23 Budget contains little new for aged care, with the government seemingly content to continue implementing its $17.7 billion reform package announced last year, and failing to commit to funding higher wages for aged care workers. CEO of local aged care provider Maroba and Aged Care expert Viv Allanson joined us with her response […]

The Commonwealth Government completed a Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety with the final report 12 months ago. The report highlighted the system’s many deficiencies, including staff shortages, low wages, poor education standards, and low-quality food. These deficiencies were further highlighted during the Covid pandemic as RACFs could not meet appropriate infection control […]

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The Human Rights Council has passed a resolution to promote and protect the human rights of older persons. While all people have rights protected under the Universal Convention of Human Rights, this resolution recognises the risks to these rights for older people and the special protections that may be required. These needs include prevention of and protection against violence, abuse and neglect, social protection, food and housing, the right to work and  access to the labour market, equality and non-discrimination, access to justice, new technologies, education, training, health support, long-term and palliative care, lifelong learning, participation, accessibility and unpaid care work.

The Hunter Community Alliance (HCA) launched with its first employed organiser nearly two years ago. The Alliance uses a community organising model shared by organisations affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation in the U.S, and used in Australia by Sydney and Queensland alliances.

Age-friendly communities mean that planning takes the needs of older people into account, recognising that older people have the same desire to remain physically, intellectually, and socially active as younger people. This requires environmental adaptation, appropriate housing at all levels of affordability, easy access to information about services and facilities for older people, protection from elder abuse, health care services appropriate to the needs of older people and support for socially isolated people to ensure their physical and psychological well-being.

The current prevalence of dementia in the LGAs of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens is about 6000, with an incidence of around 500 new cases per year. Currently, one in ten Australians over the age of 65 are living with dementia and one in eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over the age of 45. The National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) have predicted an almost doubling of the incidence of dementia in the next twenty years.

A recent article in The Lancet Healthy Longevity states that the failure of health systems to incorporate exercise programs into the health care of older people is “an example of medical, scientific and pharmaceutical industry failures to appreciate exercise’s major role as a therapeutic agent to prevent and treat both disease and loss of functional capacity”. To this, we could add that the failure of government at all levels to provide facilities for physical activity for older people is a major contributor to premature ageing and reduction in quality of life.

Australia faces a massive problem providing suitable housing for older people. We have few options now, let alone to provide for the increase of 50% of people over 65 by 2035.

One issue I hear repeatedly is the difficulty older people have learning about, and accessing all kinds of services and support. The result is that older people experience unsupported decline and have difficulty negotiating care either in the home or residential aged care. This is especially challenging for older people with no support network.

1 October is the United Nations International Day of Older Persons. It is difficult to feel celebratory as we enter the third month of lockdown against a virulent virus that threatens the health and life of all people, but especially the oldest and sickest, and most particularly those in residential care.

Coronavirus vaccinations will become mandatory for aged care workers following the emergency National Cabinet meeting last night. All of those workers are expected to have their first dose by mid-September. But what does that mean for workers and administrators at the coal face? Is it just yet another impost on the aged care sector and […]

Dr Ward talks to Paul Turton on ABC Drive about the newly created Hunter Ageing Alliance. The Alliance aims to shine a light on issues facing older people in our community. Hunter Ageing Alliance founders Dr John Ward, Viv Allanson, Catherine Henry and Professor Julie Byles encourage organisations and individuals to join them. Make a […]

A group of citizens has formed a new alliance to get all levels of government, business, NGOs and citizens to focus more on older people and work together to make the Hunter an age friendly community. Hunter Ageing Alliance spokesperson, and geriatrician, Dr John Ward, said there is not enough attention on meeting the needs […]

People over 65 will soon make up a quarter of all people living in the Hunter. The number of people over 85 will double in the next 20 years. The Royal Commission on Quality and Safety in Aged Care has shown that the lives of older people with complex needs can be miserable if they […]

One of the Hunter Ageing Alliance’s (HAA) proposed solutions is for our region to become a World Health Organisation (WHO) Age Friendly Community. WHO has produced a guide and established a global network, around eight areas that more than 800 cities and communities globally have addressed to better adapt their structures and services to the […]