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Older and wiser
Older Aussies crotchety but
wise, aged care drab and
scary: focus groups.
By Dallas Bastian
Close-minded, crotchety and scared
but also wise and knowledgeable.
Those were some of the top-ofmind
descriptors Australians used in focus
groups with market research firm Ipsos,
which was seeking out the views of the
general public and key groups for the aged
care royal commission.
The team broached questions like ‘How
would we describe someone who is older?’
and ‘Does society have an obligation to
older people?’.
Aussies held some concerns about
ageing, particularly relating to deteriorating
health, financial stress and the loss of
independence.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom – older
age was also seen as a time of considerable
personal freedom, and assuming the
aforementioned issues are not too great,
one of relaxation and free choice.
Older Australians wished not to be
viewed as a burden on their family or
wider society but most in the focus groups
did not think of them as such, neither
economically, emotionally nor socially.
Still, they acknowledged that older
Australians are often overlooked in society
and less valued than they should be.
Ipsos also drilled down into what the
term ‘old’ means for Australians. When
asked for an age that matches the word,
participants were quick to state figures
around 60 or above, though most felt that
being ‘older’ was not about a number.
“I have met old people of 35 and young
people of 85 … so I can’t specify ‘age’,” a
participant aged over 70 said.
Another said: “It’s a state of mind though
isn’t it? My mum’s 94 now and a couple
of years ago … there was an advert on TV
with an elderly woman aged 65 and she
said, ‘Poor thing’, then realised she was
20 years older.”
Older Australians also sounded off on
how they feel they are seen, with many
aged over 55 saying they dislike how they
think society perceives them.
Participants said: “People tend to think
that as you get older your brain begins to
breakdown and fizzle.”
“Once you’ve got grey hair, they think
you’ve got one foot in the grave, especially
young men, terribly patronising.”
When it came to aged care, participants’
knowledge typically reflected their
experiences interacting with the sector,
while those who hadn’t had very little
knowledge about it and recalled media
reports of abuse and neglect.
Those who had accessed aged care
spoke of the difficulty they faced.
One older Australian said: “When we
went to aged care … it could have taken six
to 12 months, and we needed something
from day one.”
Another said: “I had a young woman
come and I said, ‘I’m wasting your time
because all I want is the windows cleaned’.
But she said, ‘It’s good now that you’re
on the system so that if you need more
help with the vacuuming, you can ask for
it and we don’t have to go through that
all again’.”
Many interviewed were adamant they
did not want to enter a residential aged
care facility and used terms like depressing,
clinical, drab, bleak, scary and overcrowded
when describing homes.
A respondent aged under 55 said:
“My experiences have been that the
facilities are pretty grim – it feels like a
place you go to when there’s nowhere left
to go … just a bit depressing – it’s hospitallike,
clinical, grey, quite outdated, smells …
lonely.”
It was only a minority of participants
who commented positively about their
impressions of aged care.
“She loved it, she made friends there,”
said a focus group member.
The overall poor living conditions in
residential aged care were put down to a
lack of mental and physical stimulation,
social isolation and loneliness, poor quality
of care, nutrition, and staff levels, quality
and training.
When it came to what was needed
to improve aged care, many felt that
staffing was a priority, with better
training and remuneration to attract
high quality staff and staffing ratios seen
as crucial.
As one participant put it: “I feel there has
to be some incentive from the government
or something to work in the sector … give
those people (aged care facility workers)
more.” ■
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agedcareinsite.com.au