SUPPORTING older people in regional South Australia to age well is among the top priorities outlined in COTA SA’s State Budget submission, ahead of its release tomorrow (Thursday, June 6).
The state’s peak body for older South Australians has focused on health, housing security and regional South Australia in its key recommendations to invest in addressing the needs of the 700,000 South Australians aged over 50.
More than 165,000 South Australians, or a quarter of the state’s population, aged over 50 are living in regional areas, and need adequate transport and access to virtual healthcare services to age well.
There are a number of important challenges to be addressed to enable older people to live well in regional South Australia.
Most older people living in our regional areas feel lucky to be there and want to stay in their community as they age.
It is vital that we keep them connected with others through transport options and bridge the healthcare gap with adequate mobile connectivity to help them access services virtually.
Adequate transport is fundamental for older people to be active and maintain purposeful and independent lives connected to family, friends, services, and other interests.
Unfortunately, many of South Australia’s regional towns do not have adequate, appropriate, or affordable transport options, creating a barrier to older people’s independence as many older people rely on community transport to get to an appointment in their town, in a nearby regional centre, or further afield to Adelaide.
Part of COTA SA’s submission is to offer affordable transport options to older people to maintain their independence and not rely on driving if they feel unsafe or unconfident in doing so.
The State Government will soon commence a transport review, which could undertake a gap analysis of regional transport demand and current infrastructure.
Off the back of the gap analysis, COTA SA proposes an innovative, place-based pilot to test the feasibility of different transport solutions in regional areas.
This may look like a hop-on, hop-off service, rideshare, or redeploying school buses during school hours.
To make it easier for older people to find information about current transport options, COTA SA is also recommending that the Department of Infrastructure and Transport develop a register, detailing transport options by regional area that provides information such as eligibility, travel routes, schedules, connection points, and options if a service is missed.
Miranda Starke, Chief executive COTA SA
