Preparedness for an Ageing Population
August 2007
A project funded under the
South Australian Local Government
Research and Development Scheme
Project Consultant:
Kate Reynolds
Adelaide
0412 637 387
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Survey Results
4. Interview Findings
5. Conclusion
6. Recommendations
Appendix 1 – Survey Questions
Appendix 2 – List of people interviewed
Appendix 3 – List of documents provided by respondents
Appendix 4 – Responses from stakeholder organisations
1. Introduction
Australia, like most OECD countries, has an ageing population and the SA Local Government Association recognises that South Australia needs to be well prepared to play its part in meeting the future needs of the state’s older population.
By 2051 almost 31% of the state’s population will be over 65 and the over 85 population will have increased four fold. The rest of Australia can also expect by about 2051 that for the first time in our history the number of people over 65 will outnumber children under 15. There are more recent projections that suggest this point could now be reached as early as 2012 in South Australia and 2019 in Australia as a whole.[1]
To assist Councils, the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has entered into a partnership with the Federal Government Department of Health and Ageing to help Local Government meet the specific opportunities and challenges of an ageing population.
The Planning for an Ageing Community project began work in 2003 to:
· develop the awareness and capacity of local government to address and plan for an ageing population, including the development of a more age-friendly built environment
· facilitate exchange of best practice information on practical responses to population ageing within the Local Government sector
· promote issues raised in the National Strategy for an Ageing Australia of particular relevance to Local Government
· encourage and assist Local Government authorities to develop plans that address both the problems and opportunities of population ageing and which integrate social, economic and physical planning considerations
· provide advice on impediments in existing local planning and building processes to the timely completion and certification of aged care facilities
In February 2006 the State Government released Improving with Age: Our Ageing Plan for South Australia.
We want our Ageing Plan to be a wake up call. We must stop thinking old.
The ageing of many countries like Australia is one of the most significant social trends of our time. In South Australia we are ageing faster than other states. We don’t see that this counts against us—rather it gives us a unique opportunity to position the State to respond well to what now, and in the next half of the century, can only be described as a social revolution.”
Improving with Age[2] focuses on:
· Enabling choice and independence—in where we live, in getting around, connecting to our community and staying healthy.
· Valuing and recognising contribution—in our work, as grandparents, carers and as volunteers.
· Providing safety, security and protection—in our homes, communities and as consumers.
· Delivering the right services and the right information—timely, responsive and tailored to the needs of individuals.
· Staying in front—through research, innovative practices and collaboration with others.
In March 2004 the State Government launched South Australia’s Strategic Plan. Objective 2 stated:
Our priorities are to focus on further improving our quality of life and the wellbeing of the community and individual citizens. The focus will be on being healthier and fitter, having less crime and feeling safer. The emphasis will be placed on preventative measures including education programs.
One of the Key Points under Objective 2 was to ‘Address the challenge of an ageing population’.
In January 2007 the State Government launched the update of South Australia’s Strategic Plan but it no longer includes any reference to an ageing population.
In announcing its plans to regionalise the plan, the Government said that “Local councils and regional development boards will be central players for regionalising SASP”.[3]
The report of the LGA’s 2005 Independent Inquiry into the Financial Sustainability of Local Government has put the issue of financial resourcing of service delivery and infrastructure at the forefront of Councils’ minds. This survey, whilst it does not address the costs of current or future delivery of age related services and infrastructure, provides information which will assist Councils to understand some of the key issues facing Local Government in South Australia. An important issue for Councils is to ensure they, and the other spheres of government and the non-government sector, are using their resources effectively.
In particular Local Government is keen to ensure that councils are to have the financial capacity to deliver on those key outcomes in South Australia’s Strategic Plan that are reliant on an efficient and effective Local Government sector and that the sector is well positioned to negotiate with the State and Federal governments on level terms, including clarifying roles and responsibilities and agreeing on joint activities.
The ageing population in SA has resulted in changes to community expectations and an increase in the number of clients requiring a range of ageing related services and infrastructure.
The Project Brief was to:
· Prepare a survey of Councils to determine their preparedness for an ageing population, knowledge of issues and demographic trends, existing and proposed programs and other relevant issues.
· Collate, analyse and report on the results of the survey and include recommendations.
(At the time of this study the LGA undertook a parallel study into the Local Government’s current and future involvement with the Home & Community Care Program. The issues raised in this report are to some degree also relevant to this separate report entitled “Local Government’s Participation in the HACC Program”.)
2. Methodology
Following notification in various LGA circulars, the survey (Appendix 1) was sent in November 2006 by the LGA to all 68 Councils in South Australia. Responses were received from nearly two-thirds of the State’s 68 Councils (22 rural Councils, 18 metropolitan Councils) until January 2007.
Adelaide City CouncilAdelaide Hills Council
Alexandrina Council
City of Burnside
City of Charles Sturt
City of Holdfast Bay
City of Marion
City of Mitcham
City of Mount Gambier
City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters
City of Onkaparinga
City of Playford
City of Port Adelaide Enfield
City of Port Augusta
City of Port Lincoln
City of Prospect
City of Salisbury
City of Tea Tree Gully
City of Victor Harbor
City of West Torrens / Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council
Corporation of the Town of Walkerville
District Council of Barunga West
District Council of Ceduna
District Council of Cleve
District Council of Copper Coast
District Council of Franklin Harbour
District Council of Grant
District Council of Karoonda East Murray
District Council of Orroroo Carrieton
District Council of Streaky Bay
District Council of Tumby Bay
District Council of Yankalilla
District Council of Yorke Peninsula
Kingston District Council
Renmark Paringa Council
Rural City of Murray Bridge
Town of Gawler
Wakefield Regional Council
Wattle Range Council
Face to face interviews (Appendix 1) were conducted during December and January with three metropolitan councils and three rural councils to elicit further insight, details and recommendations.
The following organisations were invited to make comment (Appendix 4):
· Aged and Community Services SA&NT Inc.
· Aged Care Association Australia SA Inc. (ACAASA)
· Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc. (ARAS)
· Carers SA
· Council on the Ageing SA Inc. (COTA).
Of the above, the following organisations provided comment (Appendix 4).
· Aged and Community Services SA&NT Inc.
· Carers SA.
3. Survey Results
(A detailed summary of the information provided by respondents can be supplied upon request to the LGA).
The majority of metropolitan respondents were Managers of Council departments (eg Community Services) or Planning Officers. The majority or rural respondents were CEOs or Managers.
40 councils responded to the Survey.
Questions 6 – 8 related to demographic data.
· The majority of metropolitan Councils have current demographic data (mostly sourced from ABS, Social Health Atlases and private consultants) which includes some breakdown of over 65yo and over 80yo and includes some projections to 2016.
· The majority of rural respondents (both small and regional) reported having very little information.
· Half the respondents do not know the rate of ageing and the majority did not know how their Council’s rate compared to the rest of the state.
· The majority of councils do not know how the characteristics of their older population will change between now and 2020.
· Comments related to the difficulty of both accessing and interpreting ABS data (particularly by rural Councils) and the need for more, and more easily interpreted future projections. A number of rural Councils indicated that they rely entirely on the regional health services for information.
Questions 9 - 10 related to Council Plans.
· 8 metropolitan and 14 rural Councils reported that meeting the needs of an ageing population was specifically mentioned in their Council’s Strategic Plan.
· 5 metropolitan and 2 rural Councils reported that their Council has a separate Plan to meet the needs of older people. Notably, both rural Councils have an established Ageing Taskforce.
· 4 metropolitan and 6 rural Councils reported that their Council has resolved to develop such a Plan.
Plans (either Strategic or Age-specific) mentioned ageing in relation to the following topics:
3 - Economic Development3 - Finance
4 - Parks & Gardens
5 - Arts & Culture
5 - Traffic and Transport
5 - Human Resources
7 - Planning
7 - Policy Development / 8 - Infrastructure & Engineering
8 - Communication & Marketing
8 - Libraries
8 - Community Development
9 - Care and Support Services
9 - Community Consultation
9 - Community Services
9 - Recreation & Leisure
9 - Volunteering
Questions 11 – 12 related to the impact of an ageing population on Council activities.
Residential Care Facilities / X
HACC Program / X
Health & Wellbeing Programs / X / X
Information Services & Programs / X / X
Cultural Facilities & Programs / X
Housing Services & Programs / X / X
Sporting Facilities & Programs / X
Recreation & Leisure Fac. & Progs / X
Transport Services / X
Volunteer Management / X / X
Community Safety / X / X
Community Development / X / X
Economic Development / X
Infrastructure Develop. / X
Planning & Development / X
None / Minor / Moderate / Major / Don’t Know
Revenue Raising / X / X
Strategic Planning / X / X
Human Resource Management / X
Questions 13 - 19 related to awareness of ageing issues and resources by Council’s Elected Members, Management and Staff, and involvement by internal and external committees in planning and implementing strategies to meet the needs of an ageing population.
· The majority or both metropolitan and rural Councils reported awareness to be high or moderate amongst Elected Members and Managers and moderate to low amongst other staff.
· The majority of metropolitan Councils reported that there were a number of internal and external community services and social planning committees who were very involved or involved in planning to meet the needs of an ageing population. (Many included managers/senior staff and operated at a regional level.)
· The majority of rural Councils reported that either individual staff (usually the Community Services Officer) were responsible for both developing and implementing plans. One third reported that external agencies were not very involved.
· Just over half of the Councils reported that no specific resources had been allocated. Comments included the fact that no additional resources had been made available after the development and approval of Ageing specific Plans/Strategies.
· Only one-third of Councils reported awareness of the following resources
Ø Planning for an Ageing Community website www.alga.asn.au/policy/healthAgeing/ageing/
Ø Australian Local Government Population Ageing Action Plan 2004-2008
Ø Age-Friendly Built Environments – Opportunities for Local Government (ALGA)
Ø Improving with Age – Our Ageing Plan for South Australia (SA Government).
· Only one quarter of Councils knew of ALGAs ‘Awareness into Action’.
· Just over half of the Councils reported they had staff with relevant expertise.
Questions 20 – 24 related to opportunities, challenges, leadership and gaps in services.
Councils identified opportunities in four main categories
· improved collaboration/partnerships
· greater involvement by older people (decision making and volunteering)
· improved employment opportunities/conditions for older people
· improved services to community.
Councils identified challenges in relation to:
· establishing and maintaining workable partnerships
· provision of community infrastructure
· other priorities competing for available funds (expressed repeatedly by rural councils) and continuing cost shifting to local government
· increasing complexity of needs of individual clients
· workforce supply and demand.
Respondents identified gaps in funding and access to expertise (especially for small and rural councils) and workforce issues as significant.
Almost all Councils believe that all three spheres of government should be working in collaboration with community based service providers to address issues and strategies related to South Australia’s ageing population. However most rural respondents stressed that their councils do not have the capacity to any provide new or expanded services without additional resources being provided by the State or Federal governments. Those Councils with Ageing Taskforces highlighted the continuing role the Taskforces could/should play in both planning and implementation.
Questions 25 & 26 - respondents recommended action by the LGA in the following areas.
1. Lobby to have Councils given a greater role by State and Federal governments and their agencies on decisions about ageing related initiatives and changes
2. Lobby State and Federal governments for improved/realistic funding if Councils are expected to begin, continue or expand service provision