Policy

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was established by the Federal Government in 2018 in response to growing concerns about the quality of aged care in Australia.

Guided by our Policy Development Committee, current events and the wishes of older people, we work on a range of issues related to the rights of older Victorians.

People across Victoria are now living longer and healthier lives. To respond to this exciting change, we need age friendly cities and communities: places where older people live safely, enjoy good health and stay involved.

Assistive technology is any aid or piece of equipment helps a person perform an everyday task, and helps people with disability to be independent and participate in everyday life in the community.

Isolation and loneliness are emerging as health epidemic concerns for the 21st century, with one in four Australians reporting being lonely, according to the Australian Loneliness Report (2018) conducted by the Australian Psychological Society and Swinburne University of Technology.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the surfacing of some deep-seated ageist attitudes, from blaming younger people as virus spreaders, to dismissing the impact on older people because ‘they are dispensable’. 

Seniors Rights Victoria is the key state-wide service dedicated to preventing and responding to elder abuse, community legal centre and a program of Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria.

Older people are faced with important decisions about end-of-life-care, dying and death. COTA Victoria has been closely involved as reforms are implemented in Victoria.

Environmental sustainability and the ageing population are two of the most important challenges facing governments around the world today. Older Victorians want to leave a positive environmental legacy, and we believe they have an important role to play.

COTA Victoria writes submissions to Government to influence the policies and programs it develops.