Seniors Plan 2007 - City of Stirling - The Western Australian ...

• Some changes in development and infrastructure identified as being beneficial to seniors would
provide benefits to the whole community. These include:
• Mixed and adaptable housing.
• An improved range of transport options.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Social isolation is a major contributor to chronic disease, depression and premature death.
• Single person households are the fastest-growing residential category, putting people more at
risk of isolation.
• People are more likely to participate in the community if they feel they live in a safe
environment.
• There is expected to be a large increase in the number of people with dementia in the next
20 years.
• A higher proportion of people with mild to moderate dementia will remain in the community rather
than moving into residential care.
• More people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds will fall into the oldest age
groups.
• These people may be more likely to need services in their native language because ability to use a
second language can decline in old age.
• It is important to ensure that spoken and written communication is clear because:
• most peoples’ hearing and vision deteriorates as they get older;
• there will be more people in the community who have early stage dementia; and
• some older people will have had little education or may not understand English well.
• Residents are very satisfied with the City of Stirling’s existing Home and Community Care (HACC)
services for frail aged people.
• The extent of community care services within the City of Stirling will need to be increased, at least
in the short term, to cope with increasing numbers of frail aged people in the community.
• The City will need to decide how much it can increase its capacity to provide HACC or other
community care services.
• The provision of care services in the future may be influenced by national proposals for
changes in community aged care.
• It is probable that technology will play an increasing role in care for the frail aged and housebound
in the future, including:
• service coordination;
• monitoring of clients; and
• social connection for clients.
• In the long term, the effect of the strategies proposed in this plan should be to reduce the
proportion of the population needing support services.
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