Stop Press! Report just released by the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre

Dear All,

Last week the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre released a report entitled ‘Experience Works: The Mature Age Employment Challenge’.

Report Summary:

Mature age employment has been on the policy agenda many times over. Unfortunately, Australia continues to perform poorly compared with other countries. The report gives a candid snapshot of mature age employment in Australia. It outlines the distinctive barriers faced by older workers and draws on overseas approaches that hold lessons for us. It also presents potential policy responses, including:

• Strengthening age discrimination laws
• Creating incentives to encourage mature age workers to increase and update their skills
• Promoting healthy workplaces to reduce employment barriers caused by health problems associated with older age
• Supporting informed transition to retirement
• Reducing disincentives for employment from government income support

We hope the report acts as a catalyst for encouraging government, major employer groups and unions to increase their efforts and develop a better coordinated approach to taking up this challenge.

Access the report here.

Thanks to Lindy for spying this publication!

Cheers,

Kate

New Ageing Publications

Dear All,

I wanted to alert you to some new publications which may be of interest...

The first is an Interim Report entitled A Healthier Future for all Australians issued by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) on 16 February 2009.

The report proposes 116 reform directions across the spectrum of health service delivery from a healthy start to life to end of life care – covering a range of issues including governance of the health system, primary health care, prevention, Indigenous health, hospitals, aged care, workforce, mental health, and rural health.

The second is a Report to the Minister for Ageing on residential care and people with psychogeriatric disorders issued by the Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance (OACQC) on 9 February 2009.

The report highlights that the best care outcomes for people with psychogeriatric disorders are achieved where there is effective integration and cooperation across sectors. Collaborative networks across the primary health, mental health and aged care service sectors are critical.

Stay tuned for more ageing information,
Kate