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The Silent Carers Monday, May 24, 2010 by Anne-Marie \| 1 comments Tim Burke – Principal, Wayfinder Design (Published in INsite, April-May 2010, Issue 59, p.37 under the title ‘The devil’s in the detail’) The built environment can be considered the silent partner or the silent participant in the care of people in dementia-specific accommodation. Accordingly, the built environment can be considered the ‘silent carer’, working concurrently with the care staff and the relevant care procedures. Where the built environment is viewed as part of the care process, that is, as a ‘silent carer’, then each individual element or combination of elements in the environment can themselves be considered to be ‘silent carers’. What this means is terms of design, is that the form, scale and finish (texture, colour etc.) of every single element or combination of elements (physical space, physical feature or object) can be reviewed and assessed as either being appropriate or inappropriate for inclusion in or exclusion from the resultant design. /resources/9/Tim Burke 'Silent Carers' COTA RAP MAY 2010.pdf More
Wayne Swan gets Intergenerational Friday, February 19, 2010 by Anne-Marie \| 0 comments by Bernard Keane Source: www.crikey.com.au Monday 1st February 2010 Intergenerational reports were, of course, an initiative of Peter Costello as Treasurer, and one of his better ones. Under the Charter of Budget Honesty, they’re supposed to be produced by Treasury every five years, and it was only April 2007 that we were treated to the last one. So less than three years later, we have another report. By now you know all the key details, because they’ve been leaked ahead of time. In fact, Wayne Swan first began discussing the contents of this one — specifically, that the Australian population was going to be about 7 million larger in the late 2040s, at 35 million, than estimated previously. And like its predecessor, which like today’s was also launched by the Treasurer at the National Press Club, this one is a highly political — though not partisan — document. The 2007 report was an opportunity for the Howard Government — by then less than six months out from an election — to spruik its reform record. Costello’s speech is an extended exercise in self-congratulation about how the Government’s fiscal restraint, baby bonus and welfare reforms had improved Australia’s fiscal position, lifted fertility and increased the participation rate. And on productivity, Costello boasted of introducing Workchoices. Ah well. The Rudd Government’s skills and infrastructure focus at least has the virtue of not looking like purest political poison. This report is every bit as much a political document in an election year, but with a key difference — this isn’t about what the Rudd Government has done — or only partly. It’s more about how it has a long-term economic reform agenda and how much of a threat the Coalition is to Australia. To combat the pressures of an ageing population, the report identifies fiscal restraint, higher productivity, higher participation and more nebulously commits to tax reform — via, of course, the unreleased Henry Review — and “important health reform”. That’s the guts of the Rudd Government agenda for this year, the story it will take to the election. More
The Great Debate - Is 9% Enough ? Monday, December 07, 2009 by Anne-Marie \| 6 comments By Andrew Boal, Managing Director, Watson Wyatt in Australia At a recent Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) luncheon. So, is 9% enough? Well, yes it is: 9% is enough for our second pillar, mandatory savings. Of course, the SG was not designed to be “enough” in its own right. But, as part of a three pillar system, 9% is an adequate level for the second, mandatory pillar. More
British Pensioners and The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) , “Carson and Others v the UK Government” Monday, October 26, 2009 by Anne-Marie \| 10 comments Bristish Pensioners are continuing to fight injustice around the indexation of expatriot pensions, this has led them to the European Court of Human Rights to present their case. On Wednesday September 2nd, 10 of the 13 original applicants to our case attended the ECHR Grand Chamber of 17 judges in Strasbourg. This was to hear the case that these 13 applicants had eventually brought against the UK Government, complaining that their pensions were not indexed, which constituted a breach of some of the articles in the 1998 UK’s Human Rights Act. The 4 applicants from Australia were there, Mr. Lothar Markiewicz, Mrs Rosemary Godfrey, Mrs Christine Shrubsole and Mrs Penelope Hill as was Annette Carson who most of us know was the original applicant from South Africa to fight this legal issue in the London High Court in 2002. Canada sent 5 of the 8 who originally made an application. More
My Choice - Your Challenge Monday, September 14, 2009 by Anne-Marie \| 11 comments by Kath Brewster for the Connecting our Community, NSW HACC & COMMUNITY CARE CONFERENCE, 25 August 2009 I want to challenge the way older people are defined, treated and considered (or not) in our rapidly changing environment. ‘The Land of Faerie – where nobody get old’ is The Land of Heart’s Desire in the poem by W B Yeats. Today, this is what everybody seems to desire: not to grow old. Or is it that in our rapidly ageing population the whole notion of “old”, has been taken to a new level? Forty is the new thirty; 70 the new 60 and so it goes. More
Private rental market squeezing out seniors Tuesday, August 04, 2009 by Anne-Marie \| 4 comments Dr Alan Morris from the University of NSW has been looking into the housing policy impacts on older people who are dependent on the age pension and who live in unsubsidised, private rental accommodation. In an ongoing study, Dr Morris has been interviewing Sydney seniors in the private rental market as well as examining public housing policy shifts since 1984. Despite State and federal Government commitments to improve accessibility of older persons to public housing there is clearly a very substantial lag between demand and supply. As a result many older non-homeowners in Sydney are forced to depend on the private rental market and a large proportion are spending at least half of their income on rent. The big question is whether affordable and community housing will be built so as to fill the gap and provide much needed housing options for our seniors on low or fixed incomes. More
The NSW Budget and Seniors Tuesday, July 07, 2009 by Anne-Marie \| 44 comments The NSW 2009-2010 Budget delivered some surprises last month such as the elimination of the booking fee for pensiners on Counrty Link and the restraint from increasing state charges and taxes much to the relief of seniors and families. We welcome the significant increases in spending on disability, health, transport and housing; we will be watching as this spending is announced by each department to identify allocations to seniors. It is becoming increasingly difficult to measure the spend on seniors when expenditure is spread across key departments like health, housing and disability. More
The Federal Budget and Seniors Wednesday, May 13, 2009 by jonb \| 10 comments As we review the Federal Budget handed down last night (12 May 2009)and digest the impact on seniors in its aftermath, we bring you a snapshot of the key initiatives. More
inclusion of Older People – Getting it right Thursday, March 26, 2009 by jonb \| 9 comments The social inclusion of older people is a growing concern for policy makers and service providers alike. An ageing population means there’s a greater need for government and statutory authorities to work with older people in planning future service needs. More
Self funded retirees income security Friday, January 16, 2009 by admin \| 7 comments By Anne-Marie Elias, COTA NSW Policy & Communications Manager The global financial crisis has had a devastating impact on self funded retirees, particularly those who have invested their superannuation in the share market and/or relied on the interest from their investments. COTA NSW is concerned with self funded retirees and await the upcoming Harmer Pension Review and the broader Henry Tax Review to see if the government can provide the much needed vision and flexibility in the retirement income system. More
Are you entitled to more UK age pension? Tuesday, December 16, 2008 by jonb \| 60 comments By Jim Tilley, Hon Chairman, British Pensions in Australia. If you have worked in the UK and are now of UK pension age, [women 60 men 65], there may be chance of you achieving a part UK age pension or even increasing the part UK age pension you receive. This offer of some additional retirement income is limited to women born after 5 April 1938 and men born after 5 April 1933. If your wish to take advantage of the offer, it ceases on April 5^th. 2009. Your claim is required in the UK some weeks before that date. More
Age Friendly Environments – Planning for the Future, Now Sunday, November 30, 2008 by jonb \| 0 comments By Anne-Marie Elias, COTA NSW Policy & Communications Manager COTA NSW was pleased to attend the Ageing Landscapes, Australian Association of Gerontology Conference in Perth. The conference covered the gamut of issues affecting our ageing population from abuse of older people, health and early intervention as well as the planning and design of our built environments and public spaces. One common theme across all issue was that early intervention and prevention was better than retrospective or reactive policies and programs. More

The Silent Carers

Monday, May 24, 2010 by Anne-Marie | 1 comments

Tim Burke – Principal, Wayfinder Design

(Published in INsite, April-May 2010, Issue 59, p.37 under the title ‘The devil’s in the detail’)

The built environment can be considered the silent partner or the silent participant in the care of people in dementia-specific accommodation. Accordingly, the built environment can be considered the ‘silent carer’, working concurrently with the care staff and the relevant care procedures. Where the built environment is viewed as part of the care process, that is, as a ‘silent carer’, then each individual element or combination of elements in the environment can themselves be considered to be ‘silent carers’. What this means is terms of design, is that the form, scale and finish (texture, colour etc.) of every single element or combination of elements (physical space, physical feature or object) can be reviewed and assessed as either being appropriate or inappropriate for inclusion in or exclusion from the resultant design.

/resources/9/Tim Burke 'Silent Carers' COTA RAP MAY 2010.pdf

Wayne Swan gets Intergenerational

Friday, February 19, 2010 by Anne-Marie | 0 comments

by Bernard Keane Source: www.crikey.com.au

Monday 1st February 2010

Intergenerational reports were, of course, an initiative of Peter Costello as Treasurer, and one of his better ones. Under the Charter of Budget Honesty, they’re supposed to be produced by Treasury every five years, and it was only April 2007 that we were treated to the last one.

So less than three years later, we have another report. By now you know all the key details, because they’ve been leaked ahead of time. In fact, Wayne Swan first began discussing the contents of this one — specifically, that the Australian population was going to be about 7 million larger in the late 2040s, at 35 million, than estimated previously.

And like its predecessor, which like today’s was also launched by the Treasurer at the National Press Club, this one is a highly political — though not partisan — document.

The 2007 report was an opportunity for the Howard Government — by then less than six months out from an election — to spruik its reform record. Costello’s speech is an extended exercise in self-congratulation about how the Government’s fiscal restraint, baby bonus and welfare reforms had improved Australia’s fiscal position, lifted fertility and increased the participation rate.

And on productivity, Costello boasted of introducing Workchoices. Ah well. The Rudd Government’s skills and infrastructure focus at least has the virtue of not looking like purest political poison.

This report is every bit as much a political document in an election year, but with a key difference — this isn’t about what the Rudd Government has done — or only partly. It’s more about how it has a long-term economic reform agenda and how much of a threat the Coalition is to Australia.

To combat the pressures of an ageing population, the report identifies fiscal restraint, higher productivity, higher participation and more nebulously commits to tax reform — via, of course, the unreleased Henry Review — and “important health reform”. That’s the guts of the Rudd Government agenda for this year, the story it will take to the election.

The Great Debate - Is 9% Enough ?

Monday, December 07, 2009 by Anne-Marie | 6 comments

By Andrew Boal, Managing Director, Watson Wyatt in Australia

At a recent Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) luncheon.

So, is 9% enough? Well, yes it is: 9% is enough for our second pillar, mandatory savings. Of course, the SG was not designed to be “enough” in its own right. But, as part of a three pillar system, 9% is an adequate level for the second, mandatory pillar.

British Pensioners and The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) , “Carson and Others v the UK Government”

Monday, October 26, 2009 by Anne-Marie | 10 comments

Bristish Pensioners are continuing to fight injustice around the indexation of expatriot pensions, this has led them to the European Court of Human Rights to present their case. On Wednesday September 2nd, 10 of the 13 original applicants to our case attended the ECHR Grand Chamber of 17 judges in Strasbourg. This was to hear the case that these 13 applicants had eventually brought against the UK Government, complaining that their pensions were not indexed, which constituted a breach of some of the articles in the 1998 UK’s Human Rights Act. The 4 applicants from Australia were there, Mr. Lothar Markiewicz, Mrs Rosemary Godfrey, Mrs Christine Shrubsole and Mrs Penelope Hill as was Annette Carson who most of us know was the original applicant from South Africa to fight this legal issue in the London High Court in 2002. Canada sent 5 of the 8 who originally made an application.

My Choice - Your Challenge

Monday, September 14, 2009 by Anne-Marie | 11 comments

by Kath Brewster for the Connecting our Community, NSW HACC & COMMUNITY CARE CONFERENCE, 25 August 2009

I want to challenge the way older people are defined, treated and considered (or not) in our rapidly changing environment.

‘The Land of Faerie – where nobody get old’ is The Land of Heart’s Desire in the poem by W B Yeats. Today, this is what everybody seems to desire: not to grow old. Or is it that in our rapidly ageing population the whole notion of “old”, has been taken to a new level? Forty is the new thirty; 70 the new 60 and so it goes.

Private rental market squeezing out seniors

Tuesday, August 04, 2009 by Anne-Marie | 4 comments

Dr Alan Morris from the University of NSW has been looking into the housing policy impacts on older people who are dependent on the age pension and who live in unsubsidised, private rental accommodation. In an ongoing study, Dr Morris has been interviewing Sydney seniors in the private rental market as well as examining public housing policy shifts since 1984.

Despite State and federal Government commitments to improve accessibility of older persons to public housing there is clearly a very substantial lag between demand and supply. As a result many older non-homeowners in Sydney are forced to depend on the private rental market and a large proportion are spending at least half of their income on rent. The big question is whether affordable and community housing will be built so as to fill the gap and provide much needed housing options for our seniors on low or fixed incomes.

The NSW Budget and Seniors

Tuesday, July 07, 2009 by Anne-Marie | 44 comments

The NSW 2009-2010 Budget delivered some surprises last month such as the elimination of the booking fee for pensiners on Counrty Link and the restraint from increasing state charges and taxes much to the relief of seniors and families. We welcome the significant increases in spending on disability, health, transport and housing; we will be watching as this spending is announced by each department to identify allocations to seniors.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to measure the spend on seniors when expenditure is spread across key departments like health, housing and disability.

The Federal Budget and Seniors

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 by jonb | 10 comments

As we review the Federal Budget handed down last night (12 May 2009)and digest the impact on seniors in its aftermath, we bring you a snapshot of the key initiatives.

inclusion of Older People – Getting it right

Thursday, March 26, 2009 by jonb | 9 comments

The social inclusion of older people is a growing concern for policy makers and service providers alike. An ageing population means there’s a greater need for government and statutory authorities to work with older people in planning future service needs.

Self funded retirees income security

Friday, January 16, 2009 by admin | 7 comments

By Anne-Marie Elias, COTA NSW Policy & Communications Manager

The global financial crisis has had a devastating impact on self funded retirees, particularly those who have invested their superannuation in the share market and/or relied on the interest from their investments.

COTA NSW is concerned with self funded retirees and await the upcoming Harmer Pension Review and the broader Henry Tax Review to see if the government can provide the much needed vision and flexibility in the retirement income system.

Are you entitled to more UK age pension?

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 by jonb | 60 comments

By Jim Tilley, Hon Chairman, British Pensions in Australia.

If you have worked in the UK and are now of UK pension age, [women 60 men 65], there may be chance of you achieving a part UK age pension or even increasing the part UK age pension you receive. This offer of some additional retirement income is limited to women born after 5 April 1938 and men born after 5 April 1933. If your wish to take advantage of the offer, it ceases on April 5^th. 2009. Your claim is required in the UK some weeks before that date.

Age Friendly Environments – Planning for the Future, Now

Sunday, November 30, 2008 by jonb | 0 comments

By Anne-Marie Elias, COTA NSW Policy & Communications Manager

COTA NSW was pleased to attend the Ageing Landscapes, Australian Association of Gerontology Conference in Perth. The conference covered the gamut of issues affecting our ageing population from abuse of older people, health and early intervention as well as the planning and design of our built environments and public spaces. One common theme across all issue was that early intervention and prevention was better than retrospective or reactive policies and programs.

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