Edition 6

Notice of Annual General Meeting

The 57th Annual General Meeting of the Council on the Ageing Queensland will be held on level  17, 53 Albert Street, Brisbane on Thursday 20 November 2014 commencing at 1:30 pm.

Sarah Baker will be speaking about Aged Care Reform, its impact and opportunities for consumers.  Seating is limited, please RSVP info@cotaqld.org.au, by 13 November.

Should you wish to receive an Annual Report (hardcopy) please contact our office on (07) 3316 2999 or 1300 738 348 and confirm your current mailing address.  Annual Report will be made  available online www.cotaqld.org.au.

G20 Leaders’ Summit, 15–16 November 2014

Brisbane is the host city for the 2014 G20 Leaders' Summit, held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank, on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November.

COTA Queensland will be closed all day on Friday 14 November and will resume regular business at 9am on Monday 17 November.

Patronage of the Governor

We are pleased to announce that His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland, has agreed to accept patronage of COTA Queensland during his term as Governor.
 

About His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland:
 

Kaye and Paul de Jersey are dedicated long-standing Queenslanders.

The Governor was born in Brisbane in 1948, the third son of school teacher parents Ronald and Moya (both now deceased).

Read more 

Older Queenslanders have their say on election issues

In the first half of next year Queenslanders will go to the polls to elect the 55th Queensland Parliament. COTA Queensland will be informing political parties and candidates of the priorities of Queensland's seniors leading up to the election - we  would like to hear your views about the challenges facing older people. Previous COTA Queensland election submissions have advocated for improvements to the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme, the Electricity Rebate Scheme, the situation of older renters and public housing tenants, the availability of community and medical transport, as well as the benefits of the World Health Organisation's  age-friendly cities and communities framework for planning and service delivery.
 

You can provide feedback and input for COTA's  2015 Queensland Election submission via our website, Facebook or Twitter @COTAQld pages - or directly by phone on 1300 738 348 or email to policy@cotaqld.org.au.

Research Study Exploring Social Connections is Seeking your Involvement

Research has found both in Australia and overseas that people’s social connections are declining and this can lead to feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Our social networks allow us to share information, to learn, to be of value and to be valued. They are essential to wellbeing.

This research project is seeking the experiences and views of older Australians aged 65 years and older. We wish to gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of older people’s experiences in terms of social connections, social support, loneliness and social isolation.

Read more 

Improving accessibility for people with a disability

COTA Queensland has been working with the state government and the University of Queensland to improve the accessibility of public transport for people with a disability. A survey of users of busway stations in south east Queensland has identified particular problems with boarding procedures (or lack thereof) which badly disadvantage people with mobility or one or more sensory impairments.

John MacPherson, a commuter who uses a wheelchair, noted: "At King George Square busway station I can go to the door at which my bus will pull up and simply wait with confidence that I will not miss my service.  At stations that have no doors (e.g. Cultural Centre) I can miss my service because it pulls up randomly and I cannot get to (the bus) before it departs or simply do not know that it has arrived."

"Rail stations, King George Square and Myer Centre have designated boarding points that make boarding very easy. At most busway stations however boarding is a random and chaotic affair."

COTA Queensland is a member of the Accessibility Reference Group for the Department of Transport and Main Roads, as well as for Queensland Rail.

If you have any feedback about the challenges of using public transport in Queensland, please contact Mark Young, COTA Queensland Policy Officer, at policy@cotaqld.org.au or by phone at 3316 2912 or toll free on 1300 738 348.

Consumer Directed Care information sessions

By 1 July 2015 all new and existing Home Care packages, will be Consumer Directed Care packages.

COTA is providing free, interactive Controlling My Own Life: Making the Most of Consumer Directed Care information sessions to enable consumers to prepare for this change.

Each session runs for approximately one hour. We will endeavour to deliver sessions wherever we are able to arrange for a Peer Educator to attend.

All sessions are supported by resources from Home Care Today.

Contact Marianne Wright, COTA Queensland Volunteers Coordinator, at  bookings@cotaqld.org.au or by phone on 3316 2905 or toll free on 1300 738 348 to book your session today!

Suicide Awareness project begins on Sunshine Coast

Suicide touches the lives of many people and is a devastating outcome for family, friends and the broader community.

Many people will know of someone who has attempted suicide or who has died by suicide, and asked themselves the question - "What could I have done to prevent it?"

Free information sessions in the Sunshine Coast area are being delivered by our Peer Educators to raise the awareness and understanding of the risk factors, where to go for assistance, as well as how to reassure isolated communities about the everyday prevention strategies they can implement to reduce the rate of suicide and suicide attempts.
 

For further information, contact Marianne Wright, COTA Queensland Volunteers Coordinator, at bookings@cotaqld.org.au or by phone on 3316 2905 or toll free on 1300 738 348.

Don’t wait until it’s too late - get ready now

By preparing ourselves better before disaster hits, we can help take the strain off the State Emergency Service and let them focus on those who need help the most.

There are lots of ways you can Get Ready, but the easiest way is to sign up to One Step at a Time - a weekly personalised online program that gives you a simple task to tick off every week. In 51 weeks, you’ll be ready for anything. You can register here.

Or for help with preparing an Emergency Kit and Evacuation Plan right now, download the Get Ready fact sheets.  

Beat the heat 

Hot weather can affect anybody. It may make existing medical conditions worse and can cause heat-related illness. In some cases heat effects may be fatal. It may also affect community infrastructure such as power supply and other support services.

Stay healthy in the heat
Stay healthy in the heat. Find out who is at risk and how you can prepare for and cope during a heat event and what to do for heat-related illnesses.
• Staying healthy in the heat
• Heat-related illnesses

For more information click here. 

12 Scams of Christmas

Sure it's only November but already the Christmas decorations are out in shops. Scams occur all year round but scammers prey on people’s generosity and vulnerabilities at this time of year.

SCAMwatch is advising consumers to watch out for the 12 scams of Christmas.

Christmas-New Year office closure

COTA Queensland's office at 25 Mary Street, Brisbane, will close at 5pm on Friday 19 December 2014 and reopen for business at 9am on Monday 5 January 2015.

The Board, management and staff take this opportunity to thank members, volunteers and stakeholders for their support throughout 2014, wish all the compliments of the season, and look forward to continuing to work with you in 2015.