Office for Ageing Well

Office for Ageing Well works to fulfil the government’s commitment to supporting South Australians to age well. Through continued consultation with a diverse range of older South Australians and by partnering with government, non-government and community organisations Office for Ageing Well supports older people to remain active and engaged.

Office for Ageing Well, works with and for older South Australians through the:

  • Seniors Card Program
  • Retirement Villages Unit
  • Aged Care Assessment Program
  • State Ageing Plan
  • Community Grants.

Office for Ageing Well has also expanded its existing support function for adult safeguarding through the work of the Adult Safeguarding Unit.

Legislation

Office for Ageing Well supports and administers two Acts and a range of programs.

Policy, projects and programs

As well as undertaking a range of policy, projects and programs Office for Ageing Well:

  • advises and supports the Minister for Health and Wellbeing
  • raises awareness of issues affecting older people
  • works collaboratively across government and the community
  • contributes to policy, planning and service development.

Further information for South Australian seniors is available on the sa.gov.au website.

Better Together

Office for Ageing Well is committed to genuine and effective community engagement. Effective engagement 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 government and the community. Engagement is not only about giving older people a voice, it is about ensuring older people are valued and respectfully included in the decisions that ultimately affect them. It is about building genuine partnerships with older people to benefit them, the work that we do and the community we live in.

Better Together: A Practical Guide to Effective Engagement with Older People (PDF 4.2MB) is informed by older South Australians and will be used to grow awareness across other areas of government of how to actively include the voice of the older person in what they do.

Statewide Conversations with Older South Australians

In 2018 more than 1,500 older people from around the state participated in the Statewide Conversations with Older South Australians to share their views about ageing well. Some of the key themes to emerge included ensuring that people have better options for staying in their homes and communities as they age, and the importance of making and maintaining meaningful social connections.

The TACSI Report Future Directions to Support Ageing Well (PDF 842KB) captures the findings from the 2018 Statewide Conversations with Older South Australians.

The report findings formed the foundation of the 2019 Statewide Conversations with Stakeholders which engaged with 30 South Australian thought leaders and more than 130 representatives of government and non-government partners, community organisations and older people.

The first series of Statewide Conversations with Older South Australians took place in 2016, facilitated by older people trained for the purpose, and many held discussions within their own networks. People also jumped online to get involved through the YourSAy website. Feedback and opinions provided by some attendees were recorded on video. You can view the full video or the short video. These conversations shaped the five key priorities of the Age Friendly SA Strategy.