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What we've been up to . . . April 2006 April 3 to April 9 Mary Daly reports she is doing an interview on the ‘Today Show’ on grandparents on Monday. Also this week we are having our HACC (home and community care) Speakout. The event is booked out. Recommendations will go to both Commonwealth and state Ministers. This OPSO event has been organised by Ilma Ferguson. Also, next week Ilma Ferguson will represent us at the presentations of the Department of Community’s cross-government project on social isolation on Tuesday while Val French represents us on the Council of Grandparents meeting. She will also be one of the judges for the Archbishop Battersby Media Awards. Maida Lilley will represent us at Active Transport and Health Seminar. Evidence will be viewed from around the world which will lead into workshops on practical application of these here. Maida will also attend the first of the Chronic Health Steering Committee meetings. Ilma Ferguson will be organising workshops to train members to give presentations on safe driving practices and pedestrian safety, as well as organising presentations from interested groups. March 27 to April 2 Dr Mary Daly and Tony Townsend gave two lectures at the Police Academy, part of our ongoing commitment to developing understanding of older people and their issues across the board. Maida Lilley represented us at the Queensland Strategy for Chronic Diseases 2005-15 workshop and was appointed to the steering committee to work on the development of strategies aimed at preventing chronic diseases and their risk factors and improving the quality of life of those with such diseases. Bill Benson and Val French attended the roundtable discussion on crime and seniors organised by the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre. The purpose of the discussion was to work out areas of need for research. The roundtable group will be on-going. Val French attended the Australasian Centre of Aging Symposium on Cultural Diversity in Queensland to take part in a discussion to assess areas of need that should be researched. OPSO met with the RACQ to discuss the ramifications that the new legislation on drivers with a disability is having on people of all ages. Watch this space for further developments. This legislation has led to a lot of anxiety and quite a bit of public questioning on how it is being implemented. We are still getting great feedback on the series of interviews that Alan Hales did on mature age unemployment for the ABC. Good to see. – Val French, |
