NEWS
50 Something
FEATURE
Respect for Age: Going, going or gone? The aged care royal commission testimony raises questions beyond quality of care. Does the age-old value of respect still underwrite public policy and service delivery, let alone our personal relations? National Seniors research throws some interesting light on the topic, as John Austin reports.
We were raised with the values and manners of our parents who in turn lived those of their parents and ancestors, the church, the austere woes of the Great Depression and World Wars I and II. There was no greater life principle than giving ‘respect’. Rattle forward 60 years and respect for others remains elusive, perhaps even on life-support. There is the perception that retirees, along with what they value, are being run down by those intent on themselves: government; policy makers; bureaucrats; banks; aged care services; and yes, those pesky young people. The age care royal commission has exposed many years of hypocrisy. How can a society that values the concept of respecting the aged allow such things to happen, not just in isolation, but an entire system found to be unintentionally negligent and hurtful to those who least deserve it? In the context of challenges to traditional patterns and expectations of ageing, including being respected, National Seniors sought the views of members. Nearly six thousand responded to an online survey. Stand-out experiences of disrespect included: • Increasing publicity about the poor quality of care in residential facilities and, to some extent, home care; • Increasing waiting lists for care for which seniors have been approved; • Constant changes to the retirement income system without protection for affected older people who are then unable to rebuild their financial plans but are not provided with compensating income support; • Increasing barriers to applying for the age pension; • A provocative ‘intergenerational’ debate about whether younger people are suffering while older generations are doing better than ever; and
“
Seniors have also experienced a decade of turbulence around national retirement income policy.
20
”
• Progressive cultural analysis arguing that middle age now extends into the 70s, with the implication that Australians are healthier, wealthier and will work longer, living active midcareer lives to later ages without being dependent. Show me the money So, it seems the views of older Australians are not being heard or respected when major changes are made, particularly those directly affecting their finances. They feel they are targeted, for example, on tax concessions, whereas others who also benefit from tax concessions are unaffected.
National Seniors Australia
