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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-23 Daily Xml
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MATTERS OF INTEREST

AGED RIGHTS ADVOCACY SERVICE

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:29): I recently had the pleasure of representing the Minister for Ageing, the Hon. Jennifer Rankine, in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Aged Rights Advocacy Service. The day was a special occasion in that it marked the 20th anniversary of ARAS in assisting and empowering older South Australians. As it is your birthday today, Mr President, I especially bring to your attention the importance of its advocacy services and assistance to the elderly.

Within 10 years the elderly dependent population will outnumber children in the state for the first time in history, and the category of the population who are 75 years or older will grow faster than those within the 65 to 74 age group. As we are growing increasingly aware, and as reflected in the current state and commonwealth government developments in health care and health funding, this will have considerable implications for service delivery, as the former age group are by far the heaviest users of specialised services for the aged.

To return to the role of ARAS, it began in March 1989 under the patronage and influence of the Council of Pensioners and Retired Persons Association and COTA, its responsibility being to provide a confidential and independent service to older people, or their representatives, who are receiving community-based services, receiving commonwealth-subsidised aged care facilities, receiving community aged care packages and advising and supporting those who are at risk of, or are experiencing, abuse. It expanded its brief to include in 2003 an Aboriginal advocacy program.

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins): The Hons Mr Wortley and Mr Brokenshire should take their conversation away from the gentleman on his feet.

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: Thank you, sir. It expanded its brief, as I was saying, to include in 2003 an Aboriginal advocacy program. It is funded by both the state and commonwealth governments through the commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the Home and Community Care Program, and the Department for Families and Communities.

I will also touch on several areas of support provided by ARAS, the first being the Aboriginal Advocacy Program. This is the result of a successful amalgamation between the Council of Aboriginal Elders and ARAS. This program assists older Aboriginal people to access information about consumer rights and entitlements, and gain access to mainstream and aged care services, as well as advocating improvements in service responses. Some 2,000 clients testify to the success of this program in speaking for their needs. Support for Indigenous people is also high on the government's agenda, with the government providing a further amount of over $184,000 to meet their specific needs. I also point out that ARAS employs two Aboriginal workers to deliver these services.

We note the unfortunate truth that our elderly people can be abused. For many different reasons, such as financial dependency or health, the rights of older people can be marginalised or ignored, so it is vitally important that our seniors have somewhere to go. ARAS has taken a lead role in advocating and supporting protection for the elderly in regard to potential for abuse. It has continued its involvement in the Australian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, as well as participating in the development of a national clearing house for information on elderly abuse. ARAS also organised the 2008 World Abuse Awareness Day conference in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action.

These few examples indicate the broad range of important work that ARAS undertakes in the protection of the elderly. Closer to home, in November 2007, the minister for ageing launched the Our Actions Program, an abuse prevention strategy that was further financially supported by the Office for the Ageing in implementation through a handbook and community radio announcements directed to rural and culturally diverse communities.

For the period 2009-10, ARAS has received over $685,000 of government funding to deliver services to older South Australians at risk of, or experiencing, abuse. Time has only allowed me to trace an outline of the important and good work that ARAS undertakes to inform, help and protect some of the most needy and vulnerable people in our community with assistance and advice that we will all need in the future.

In closing, I thank all those who attended the 20th anniversary, the board of management, and especially the chairperson Joan Stone and the CEO Marilyn Crabtree and their staff.

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