In 2018, Council’s adopted the Ageing Well Strategy 2018-2022 with the aim of making the Federation Council a more inclusive community and a great place in which to grow old.
To work towards achieving this goal, the Federation Council in collaboration with the Ageing Well Advisory Committee have created an easy to use Age-Friendly Engagement and Communication Guide.
” We want to assist Council staff, service providers, businesses, and the wider community in the Federation Council area be aware of the needs of older people when communicating about their services, information and activities,” said Ageing Well Ambassador and strong advocate of the resource, Liz Seeliger.
The Federation Council is an ageing population. In 2016, 35.2% were older adults (60 years and over). Therefore it is important that the Council effectively engages and communicates with our older residents in our work to ensure our policies, programs and services are relevant and work for the people across the life cycle.
In an age-friendly community, ensuring information is accessible to older people involves using plain language, oral and print communication and ensuring electronic equipment and automated services are easier to use.
Federation Council Mayor, Cr Pat Bourke said effective engagement and communication with older people involves actively listening and genuinely responding to what matters to them most. It is open, inclusive and supports a dynamic dialogue between the Council and the community.
“Council communicates with people many times every day, either face to face, on the phone or in writing,” Mayor Bourke said.
“It is important that we ensure inclusive consultation and communication is best practice. This guide provides some valuable tips and suggestions on how people can apply an age-friendly lens to their daily work. We are encouraging not just Council staff to use this guide, but the broader community as we continue to create an all-ages-friendly community in the Federation Council region. While the focus of this guide is on older people, we are really pleased that the advice contained within is relevant to communicating with all residents and visitors to the Federation Council area.
A copy of this resource is available for download .
