Older Women
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Older women have diverse needs and interests and their ability to age well is influenced by a range of factors including lifestyle, socio-economic circumstances, cultural background, education levels and general health.
According to the ACT Government’s ACT Strategic Plan for Positive Ageing 2010-2014, the ACT has one of the fastest-growing populations of people aged 60 years and over in Australia, and this is expected to grow from 15.8 percent in 2010 to 19.6 percent by 2020, and to 22 percent by 2030. The ACT female population is increasing most rapidly in the 50 to 69 years age group. During the ten years from 1996-2006 the size of this age group increased by 5.3 percent per annum compared to an overall population increase of 0.9 percent per annum. By age 80, women outnumber men by 50 percent in the ACT.
While living arrangements for men and women up to the age of 65 years are similar in the ACT, it varies in later years. Women are more likely to live alone in their old age due to their greater life expectancy and the experience of widowhood and divorce. ABS Census (2006) data shows that one in four older people over 65 in the ACT are living in lone households, with the majority of these being female households. From the projections of the ABS Census (2006) data it is expected that by 2026 between 11,000 and 13,000 people in the ACT aged 75 years and over will live alone, with around three-quarters of them projected to be females.
Research shows that living alone may be linked to the development of depression, as well as increased isolation and reduced participation in community life. Staying in touch with family, friends and the wider community is important for health and wellbeing—both physical and mental. Older women who are socially isolated tend to experience illness and poor health more often than people who remain in frequent contact with friends and family.
WCHM’s research has showed that the major factors negatively influencing older ACT women’s social connectedness are poor physical and mental health status, poor financial status and lack of access to transport.
Older women, particularly women living alone, have limited capacity to provide for themselves financially in retirement and are more prone to live in poverty or on a low income in retirement. In 2007, nearly one in five women was retiring on no income. Recent HILDA Survey data also indicates that the group who rely most heavily on government pensions in retirement is single women; with 73 percent of single rate Age Pensioners being women.
Women who are healthy and physically active throughout their lives—especially as they age—are less likely to need health and aged care services in later life. Evidence shows that participation in a wide range of activities, as well as exercise is important in ensuring health in later years. But one in five older people in the ACT require care, and 75 percent of women with a disability that results in core-activity limitation are over 45 years of age (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003).
Access to information for older women is also a key to maintaining independence and facilitating choice. It is important that older women have access to information that enables them to make informed choices and to be included in making decisions about their lives, and in the planning and delivery of services for older people.
Discussions about ageing often focus on physical health and aged care services, or retirement and the age pension, rather than an approach to ageing that focusses on the social factors that influence older women and their quality of life.
Since the incidence of many chronic illnesses and disabilities increases with age, and is linked to social isolation and disadvantage, there a need to look for ways to adjust current thinking and approaches within the ACT to help older women maintain and improve their health and wellbeing, assist them to connect with the community and raise the quality of their lives.
It is for these reasons that WCHM has remained mindful of the importance of the social determinants of health and of illness and recognises in its work with older women the significant adverse impact on health and wellbeing of social isolation and marginalisation.
WCHM’s work in this area is focussed on developing strategies to enable older women to connect/reconnect into community and build networks. The proposed focus on older women will ensure that ACT services focused on health and wellbeing can be influenced and adjusted early to meet the needs of the ageing female population, especially to account for their multiple roles and choice to stay in their own home.
By focussing on older women WCHM hopes to develop a profile of older women and the issues impacting on their social connectedness and wellbeing; develop an evidence base around their access issues and barriers; develop strategies to address their equity of access to services, including health services; and raise awareness of the issues impacting on their health and wellbeing and advocate for improved responses to their health and wellbeing needs.
By focussing on improving their access to women-sensitive health practitioners and services WCHM hopes to help develop increased knowledge about the factors that act as barriers to social inclusion and which impact adversely on older women and to put specific policy proposals and advocacy initiatives in place to increase their social inclusion.
Current WCHM Projects
empower
From research with marginalised women in the ACT (including older women and women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds) WCHM has found that many of these women feel that they are not involved in or listened to about their needs in either Government or service provider consultations or in the design and implementation of programs and services. In addition, very few are involved in boards of community organisations or private organisations. For many of them this stems from a lack of skills and understanding and confidence and also the lack of commitment from ACT departments, community organisations and others to include women from diverse backgrounds on their boards, committees or consultation mechanisms (apart from ACT Health with its consumer involvement on key committees). Many of the courses currently available to teach people about being on boards or committees are not suitable because they assume a certain skill and understanding level, focus on people with technical skills rather than those with lived experience and are not targeted to specific groups of women that are typically excluded.
In 2011 WCHM secured funding through the ACT Women’s Grants Program 2010/11 for a project titled empower: Building opportunities for mature women and multicultural women in leadership and decision making roles in the ACT Community. WCHM is partnering with Health Care Consumers Association and Zonta Breakfast Club of Canberra to develop and deliver suitable training modules targeted at these two separate groups—older women and CALD women. The project also aims to connect project participants with representatives from ACT and Commonwealth Departments, private and community organisations to facilitate mentoring, trainee board positions, and other opportunities.
Please contact WCHM on 6290 2166 or via email on admin@wchm.org.au for more information or if you would like to participate in the project.
Research Project: Older Women's Safety Audit
Older women have unique safety concerns and often feel vulnerable in their homes and in public spaces, which can reduce their ability to participate in community life. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Older People, Australia: A Social Report (1999) found that 81 percent of older women felt unsafe using transport at night. This is consistent with the findings from the ACT Strategic Plan for Positive Ageing (2010-2014) which confirms that older people in the ACT feel concerned about catching public transport and participating in activities after dark.
The Older Women’s Safety Audits project aims to address these concerns by gaining an increased knowledge about the public safety factors that act as barriers to social inclusion and which impact adversely on wellbeing for older women, including access to transport, perceptions of safety and overall urban design. The WCHM Older Women’s Safety Audits Project is funded through the ACT Government Seniors Grants and Sponsorships for 2010-2011 and is intended to involve older women in the ACT to discuss their safety concerns and come up with ideas about how to make public spaces safer and thus more frequently used by older women. The women’s safety audit seeks to legitimise the personal perspectives of older women as valued members of the community and it is hoped the women’s safety audit will shed light on ways in which the physical environment and planning decisions affect older women and will provide age and gender sensitive solutions.
If you would like more information about the older women’s safety audit project please contact Jac Torres Gomez at j.torresgomez@wchm.org.au
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Past WCHM Projects
Research Project: Older Women and Social Connectedness
In 2010 WCHM commissioned research which aimed to identify the issues associated with older women’s social connectedness and explore how these issues impact upon their health and wellbeing.
The study involved a literature review, survey and two focus groups—one with women over 65 and one with service providers who have older women as clients. The findings have been presented in a final report Older Women and Social Connectedness: A Snapshot of the ACT. They show that for women in the ACT there is a link between good social connectedness and good physical and mental health, and conversely, that good physical and mental health facilitate good social connectedness. The report demonstrated that, in addition to poor health status, social connectedness is negatively impacted by poor financial status and lack of access to transport.
It is by no means comprehensive, but rather, an initial step into understanding the needs of older women in maintaining good social connection and the impact this connection has upon their health, wellbeing and successful ageing.
You can read the report here.
Making Your 40s Fabulous Seminar
On Wednesday 1 September 2010, WCHM and Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT (SHFPACT) jointly hosted a Making Your 40s Fabulous event; an opportunity for women to gather information on issues affecting them in their 40s such as hormonal changes, physical changes, physical changes, libido, sleep, emotional health and preventative health measures.
The event was launched by 666 ABC Canberra Drive presenter Louise Maher and was attended by over 70 women. The evening began with the screening of a webcast by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health, which was followed by a question and answer session with three local health experts: Dr Linda Welberry (Senior Medical Officer, Menopause Centre Canberra, SHFPACT), Caroline Salisbury (ABC Radio Nutrition Presenter and Nutrition Consultant) and Leslie Betts (Physiotherapist, Southside Physiotherapy).
Louise reflected upon the negative ‘f’ words that are more commonly used for women in their 40s and replaced them with positive, and far more accurate, words such as fabulous, fit and fun. She also noted that big pharmaceuticals are seeking to medicalise, control and profit from women’s libido. She encouraged women to be aware of these debates, seek out information from all perspectives and have discussions with peers in order to come to an informed position that is right for them.
The night was a great success. It was especially rewarding to be able to deliver health and wellbeing information to women in a format that from our research, we know they prefer: face-to-face, with the opportunity to ask health professionals about individual issues and the opportunity for discussion with others.
Roundtable and Survey with Older Women
The vision of the ACT Strategic Plan for Positive Ageing 2010-14 is for Canberra to be an age-friendly city, which encourages active ageing and provides opportunities for people to increase their quality of life as they age.
WCHM received funding from the ACT Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services (now the ACT Community Services Directorate) Seniors Grants Program to facilitate a roundtable of stakeholders working with older women to:- Develop an understanding of the issues in including older women in all aspects of service provision including but not limited to planning, participation, program and policy development and evaluation
- Identify strategies that could lead to an increase in the number of older women involved in decision making roles in stakeholder organisations, and participation of older women in stakeholder organisation services
A roundtable was held to identify the capacity of organisations to provide services to older ACT women and to involve older women in their decision making and planning. To ensure that the themes discussed at the roundtable were consistent with those of older women in the ACT, WCHM also conducted a survey with older women.
Both the roundtable and the survey reinforced that:- Older women have a wealth of wisdom, skills and knowledge that can and should be utilised to improve services
- It is important that older women have access to information that enables them to make informed decisions about their lives, and in planning the delivery of services for older people
Despite this, only 27 percent of the women surveyed agreed that “older women in the ACT are provided opportunities to be included in making decision about how organisations provide services”.
Some of the main issues highlighted as barriers for older women to participate were:- Being a carer was a significant factor impacting on women’s ability to contribute
- The impact of negative perceptions about older women and the lack of recognition of and value for older women’s contributions
- Limited or inaccessible community or public transport
- The need for organisations to be flexible when including older women
- The need for support, training, recognition, guidance and reimbursement for personal costs
The Views of Older ACT Women about Health and Wellbeing Information
In April 2011 WCHM launched the companion report It goes with the Territory! The views of Older ACT Women about Health and Wellbeing Information. This report presents the findings and views of women aged 60 years or older and who participated in WCHM’s health and wellbeing information research in 2009, and identifies the major themes and barriers facing them in accessing the health and wellbeing information they need.
The report identified that older women rely upon health professionals—particularly GPs—for the majority of their health and wellbeing information. They are also, however, pragmatic about the reality of GP shortages in the ACT and eager to see alternative sources of information for older women in the ACT that can provide them with personalised information that is tailored to their history, circumstances and preferences in the way that information provided by a GP would be.
You can read the report here.
Other Research and Reports
ACT Strategic Plan for Positive Ageing 2010-2014: Towards an Age-Friendly City
The ACT Strategic Plan for Positive Ageing was developed in partnership with the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing with a focus on the following key principles:- Social inclusion, participation and self-fulfilment
- Respect and valuing
- Support, independence and dignity
- Partnerships
- Consultation
This is a five year plan for 2010-2014, and includes an Implementation Plan that identifies actions for the initial reporting period to June 2011 and is intended to set the foundation for the next steps across government and with businesses and community partners.
A significant generational shift is occurring—the ACT has one of the fastest growing populations of people aged 60 years and over in Australia. It is expected that the percentage of the ACT population aged 60 years and over will grow from 15.8 percent in 2010 to 19.6 percent by 2020, and to 22 percent by 2030. The increased trend in people reaching older age and the longer life expectancy of the population have emphasised the need for the ACT to develop this Strategic Plan to address the future needs of our ageing population.
Older Australians and the Internet
Older Australians and the Internet is the report of a study conducted by Dr Sandra Haukka from the Queensland University of Technology with 149 participants aged 50 and older who were members of National Seniors Australia, including those who lived in urban, regional, rural and remote areas. The report found that as society's reliance on the Internet for commerce and services increases, older Australians with low web skills will become increasingly unable to conduct business transactions, access services, find out about community events or communicate with friends and family.
(http://www.cci.edu.au/sites/default/files/shaukka/Older%20Australians%20and%20the%20Internet%20report%20FINAL.pdf)
Safe Sex After 50 and Mature Women’s Beliefs of Sexual Health
Safe Sex After 50 and Mature Women’s Beliefs of Sexual Health set out to explore the sexual health risk attitudes among women aged 50 and older. The research—conducted via focus groups—found that women who are aged 50 and older are aware of the risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) but are uncomfortable about seeking health information from their regular doctor. Although the women reported knowing the importance of condom use in avoiding STDs, they may avoid negotiating condom use with their partners in an effort to avoid conflict or rejection. The results of the research highlight a need for greater focus on women aged 50 and older who have active sex lives.
(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6606.2011.01209.x/pdf)
Useful Links
Council on the Ageing (COTA ACT) (http://www.cota-act.org.au/)
COTA is the peak organisation concerned with all issues related to ageing in the ACT. It is an independent, non-party political and non-religious organisation working to protect and promote the wellbeing, rights and interests of all older people in the ACT and their carers, irrespective of socio-economic, ethnic, religious or cultural background. COTA offers a range of services and support options for older people in the ACT community.
National Seniors Australia (http://www.nationalseniors.com.au/)
National Seniors Australia are a not-for-profit membership based organisation assisting the over 50s community by providing economic and social benefits, representing views to Government at all levels, and making donations to charitable institutions.
Productive Ageing Centre (http://www.productiveageing.com.au/)
The National Seniors Australia Productive Ageing Centre undertakes a range of consumer oriented research informed by the lived experience of people aged 50 years and over. Particularly interesting is the Centre’s Atlas of Productive Ageing—a map of regional statistics on population, health, finance, housing and activity for Australians over 50. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in or conducting research on ageing in Australia.
ACT Office for Ageing (http://www.dhcs.act.gov.au/wac/ageing)
The Office for Ageing is a unit within the Governance, Advocacy and Community Policy Group of the Community Services Directorate. The Office provides the ACT Government with policy advice on positive ageing and it administers funding for positive ageing initiatives such as the ACT Seniors Card and the Life’s Reflections Photographic Competition.
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