Samantha Edmonds
Older Persons Advocacy Network
Hearing the Voices of Older People – What makes quality aged care
Wednesday 12 October 2022
11:05am – 11:50am
Speaker Bio
Samantha Edmonds commenced as the Manager Policy and Systemic Advocacy in March 2020, following some consultancy work for the Older Persons Advocacy Network. She has extensive knowledge and experience in policy, advocacy, human rights, and a strong commitment to inclusive aged care. She holds Masters’ Degrees in Social Policy, Politics and International Relations, is on the Board of the International Federation of Ageing and is a distinguished member of the Australian Association of Gerontology. Previously she chaired the Aged Care Diversity Sub Group. Her background is in health policy and social justice. She is passionate about ensuring the voices of older people are heard and making diversity core business in aged care.
Abstract
The experience of most adults in Australia is self-determination, acknowledgement of personhood, assumed competency in every-day life and assumed capacity under the law. However, these assumptions are not extended to all adults, especially older people. Ageism involves the withdrawal of the underlying assumptions of capacity and competency, the failure to uphold the rights of ‘older’ adults and eventually, the loss of their self-determination.
All older people have the capacity and right, as with anyone in the community, to make choices about the care and services they receive and the risks they are willing to take. However, the opposite assumption about older people holds for many. Poorly designed consultation processes or engagement strategies, a belief that consumers of services cannot be engaged in governance or advisory structures and limited understanding of how to truly engage consumers in genuine care planning and beyond, means that the voices of older people are often unintentionally silenced.
This panel session will bring together the voices of a diverse group of older people from OPAN’s National Older Persons Reference Group. NOPRG consists of people aged from 50 – 93, from across Australia, who represent the diversity of older people accessing aged care including First Nations, CALD, LGBTIQ+, veterans, people living in rural and remote areas, those with disability and those living with dementia. NOPRG members are active in their communities and networks, have accessed, are accessing or caring for people accessing aged care and/or the NDIS. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with any who listen.
The panel will explore what makes an aged care provider a quality provider and how providers can drive change within their services to be truly consumer centric. It will explore how best to engage with older people, the important roles they can play on governance and advisory structures and how providers can support choice and dignity of risk. Audience members will be encouraged to submit questions prior to the session that the panel can respond to as well as taking questions directly from the audience. The panel will also engage providers with tips and ideas on how to better engage with older people within their services.
This session will be an opportunity for providers to hear directly from older people, who will be honest, open, sometimes critical, and sometimes positive about their experiences.
To place consumers at the centre of your service you must hear & listen to the voices of older people
