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What we've been up to . . . May 2007 Since things re-opened in mid-January we have had a mountain of activities and policies to keep us on track We began with Australia Day celebrations, when Dr Mary Daly and I went to the Premier’s Luncheon. On the day itself I was an Australia Day Ambassador at Kingaroy. Emeritus vice-president, Ilma Ferguson came with me and together we spent a most productive couple of days. What a progressive town! Their programs and facilities for youth are a part of what we have all been advocating. The community centre with its museum and art gallery and all other facilities are well worth seeing by anyone wanting to travel the lovely road through Esk to Kingaroy. After the raising of the flag ceremony, their Australia Day function featured a light-hearted presentation of a huge range of awards that involved all sections of the community, and excellent food plus an Australia Day Cake . . . and a variety of flag waving from the big audience who, like us, obviously enjoyed every minute. Honourary secretary Tracey Douglas and I visited the new State Library at South Bank and booked the function facilities for this year’s Media Awards . . . that should show off the state at its modern best. Vice president Alan Hales and I have been working throughout this time developing a publicity campaign for the Seniors’ Enquiry Line. They are handling the new programs for grandparents bringing up grandchildren outside the Department of Child Care’s jurisdiction. These children often miss out on many of the things others take for granted. The Department of Communities is now funding two-day camps for ‘grandfamilies’, as well as school camps, vacation and after-school activities, and approved activities including Scouts, PCYC, Girl Guides, dance classes, gymnastics etc. The Seniors Enquiry Line number is 1300 135 500. Alan and I are also, with the Forum’s input, working on an elder abuse prevention campaign, which we shall run in the next few months to coincide with the launch of Department of Communities’ initiatives. Tony Townsend is already preparing the first wave of nomination forms for the schools’ media awards competition. He will also be organising the Peoples’ Choice Awards this year. Ilma and I enjoy training organisations and government departments to write in language that people will want to read. OPSO tries to encourage departments who write in ‘public service language’, and service providers who have their own jargon, to write brochures, booklets and newsletters and media releases for the public in language that can be understood and easily read by all people. To this end we are both giving training courses now and throughout the year. Anyone interested can contact us on 07 2319 2572. There has also been nationwide television publicity on our course on ‘Making Effective Complaints’, especially to industry and government at all levels. Other courses we run are on ‘Memoir Writing’, ‘Working with the Media’, and ‘Getting your Message Across’. Our road safety courses have started again this year . . . any organisation wanting to ensure their members are updated on safer driving can contact us for bookings. The Transport Forum, which OPSO is doing with the Department of Transport, has progressed. The department’s new transport policies have gone for approval and May is now the date for these to be presented at a Forum to across-government and public stakeholders, organised and facilitated by OPSO. Vice president Maida Lilley is working many hours on a variety of health advisory committees – GP Partners (Brisbane North Division of General Practice) Consumer Panel; General Practitioners Advisory Council Queensland; the Chronic Disease Strategy Steering Committee; Aged Care Clinical Network of Southern Area Health Service. Ilma Ferguson is on the new statewide Older Person’s Clinical Network. This umbrella group coordinates the three Brisbane area networks (South, North and Central) to bring the issues of consumers and carers of people with mental illness and other stakeholders to government for action. Judging by the terms of reference and the government stakeholders involved, that looks like a really positive initiative for older people. She also attended the Transport Development and Solutions Alliance meeting, which canvassed from community developers and health service providers from regional centres for their ideas on successful community-based transport projects in their areas. Our other emeritus vice president, Bill Benson – that indefatigable man who represents us all on the Centrelink Advisory Committee – is now also appointed to the Ministerial Regional Forum for the Northern Region. International Women’s Day presents opportunities to speak on issues relating to older women, and the looming Federal election this year means our March Forum will be devoted to putting together the policy suggestions we are about to take to all parties. Please feel free to send us your suggestions. A group of us went to speak with Tall Trees again. This village is a model for new ways of looking at retirement and/or aged care. It is a model we are keen to help promote nationwide. I now attend an initiative of Aged Care Queensland, a liaison committee meeting of across-government and community stakeholders in retirement villages. The recent meeting was most rewarding for all, and with ambulance and fire services involved, we found new ways to bring both safety and positive ageing guidelines to the villages. We are also members of the Queensland Community Care Coalition. HACC programs are to be shifted to the Department of Communities and there needs to be major changes both in philosophy and functioning. We joined in the media attention given to the figures that revealed 40 percent of older patients in the hospitals, and in some nursing homes, are not eating their meals, Although we are told this is not a nursing issue, it is certainly a care issue. OPSO is now working on answers with the Department of Communities and other potential care providers. One of the most interesting functions we were invited to was the launch of the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, attended by Maida. Let’s see whether March can be as productive! – Val French, |
