From the CEO - take a stand against ageism

One of our favourite sayings at OCAV is “you are never too old.” As you read this newsletter, you will learn how our residents keep their brains and themselves active, contributing in our own community and elsewhere as volunteers, carers, and leaders. They are, indeed, never too old to have a go at anything.

On October 1 we celebrated the United Nations Day of Older Persons. This year’s theme is Take a Stand Against Ageism, and we are proud to be taking part in a campaign that aims to combat age discrimination.

Sadly, existing discrimination laws fail to protect older Australians against age discrimination, despite the fact that discrimination is widespread in the workforce, the media and the community. This discrimination starts with the Federal Government, which views older people as an economic burden, as made evident in recent discussion about superannuation, health and housing.

OCAV joins with others to call on all governments to strengthen anti-discrimination legislation, and to fund an education campaign on ageism.

The UK recently launched a campaign to combat loneliness among older people. Research has shown that loneliness emerges particularly in people aged 70 and above partly because of bereavement, but also because of exclusion from the communities in which they live.

OCAV’s approach to retirement and community living is successful because of our emphasis on positive attitudes, our recreation and well-being programs, and the involvement of residents in activities in and across all four villages.

A feeling of loneliness is not often encountered among our residents. Of course, when a partner dies, loss and grief follow. But our residents know they are able to reach out for support, whenever they need it.

Recent research identified that older people who have positive attitudes towards ageing have a better recovery from disability and disease. We see the reality of this research every day. Of our 450 residents, 68 are in the nineties and continue to contribute to the vibrancy of OCAV. And that is indeed worth celebrating.