National Volunteer Week has been an important opportunity to celebrate and thank our incredible team of volunteers for the vital role they play at COTA Victoria. Staff and volunteers gathered for a celebratory afternoon tea to recognise the contributions of our volunteers across all areas of COTA Victoria, from policy, governance and organisational operations through […]
The onset of cold weather brings with it the usual challenges – staying warm, keeping off the extra kilograms from regular hot chocolates, and so on. And for those who live with breathing challenges like asthma, breathing the colder winter air can bring some extra hardships. The cold dry air can irritate your lungs
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is commemorated each year on 15 June to highlight one of the worst manifestations of ageism and inequality in our society, elder abuse. Elder abuse is any act which causes harm to an older person and is carried out by someone they know and trust such as a family
Welcome to another edition of COTA Connects. It seems that winter is well and truly on its way. I, for one, have had to start the heater and pull out the winter jarmies and extra blankets. I’m one of the lucky ones: I can afford to use the heater, and I have a home to
The 2022-23 Victorian State Budget was handed down by the Treasurer, Tim Pallas, on 3 May. The budget includes measures that promise to improve older Victorian’s health and wellbeing, but there are still major gaps that need to be addressed. This will be a focus for our Policy and Advocacy Team throughout 2022. Here’s what’s
It’s been almost two decades since the last comprehensive review of Victoria’s Retirement Villages Act 1986. COTA Victoria, along with organisations like Housing Action for the Aged and Residents of Retirement Village Victoria, has long campaigned for improvements to the Act. The Department of Justice and Community Safety is now reviewing the Act, with the
The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recommended changes aimed at creating a future mental health and wellbeing system that provides holistic treatment, care and support for all Victorians. But what does this mean for Victorians aged 50+ who use mental health services and support programs, or who care for someone with mental health
Grandfather Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash This year, Seniors Rights Victoria’s (SRV) annual ‘Stir a Cuppa with Seniors’ event will highlight the critical role of seniors as grandparents, aunts, uncles and mentors in families. As part of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) event on June 15, SRV will also release a new
The Ships’ Graveyard lies outside Port Phillip Heads, starting east of Fisherman’s Beach in Torquay and extending through to Point Lonsdale. The Outer Heads Area of the Ships Graveyard is what’s known as an ‘undocumented area’. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, it was common practice to set discarded ships out past
May 16 to 24 is National Volunteer Week, and the theme for this year is Better Together. Volunteering brings people together. It builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. This theme perfectly encapsulates the spirit of COTA Victoria. Here, volunteers and staff work seamlessly together across all areas of our work. Bringing together
The federal election is happening on Saturday 21 May. But if you can’t make it to a polling booth on the day, there are a number of early voting options. One option is voting by post. To do this, you must register before the cut-off date, complete your vote by 21 May, and return your
What is the study about? This Monash University healthy ageing study will evaluate the new LiveUp self-assessment tool. LiveUp is a free digital healthy ageing guide which includes a personal roadmap to help you to make small changes in your lifestyle that may improve your independence. Who can take part? We want to learn from
