Queensland celebrates International Day for Older Persons

Monday, 1 October marks the International Day for Older Persons – a United Nations initiative that encourages the celebration of the seniors community.

Minister for Seniors Coralee O’Rourke said the International Day for Older Persons was a great opportunity to come together.

“Family, friends and mentors can have a significant impact on the way we view the world,” Mrs O’Rourke said.

“Today is the perfect time to let those people know how much they mean to us, and how they have shaped our lives.”

The United Nations estimates that, by 2050, more than 20 per cent of the world’s population will be aged 60 or older.

“One of the goals of the International Day for Older Persons is to raise the visibility of older people,” Mrs O’Rourke said.

“As we saw with our recent Seniors Week celebrations, there are many seniors in Queensland who are still active members of their thriving communities.

“We are currently sharing some of our Queensland seniors’ stories on social media, with a series of ‘I am More Than My Age’ videos.”

The series of videos can be viewed on the Queensland Seniors Facebook page.

Mrs O’Rourke said this year’s International Day for Older Persons was a particularly important time to connect with seniors, particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable, following distressing revelations about aged care across Australia and increasing elder abuse reports.

“There were 1946 elder abuse notifications made to the Palaszczuk Government-funded Elder Abuse Helpline during the 2017-18 financial year, an increase of 17.8 per cent on the 1652 notifications in 2016-17,” she said.

“This increase in notifications can be attributed in large part to a greater awareness of this issue and because victims and witnesses are becoming more willing to report this insidious form of abuse.

“We can no longer allow elder abuse to be swept under the carpet and treated as a private matter that should be kept in the family – we all need to take a stand and protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”

For more information about elder abuse and the campaign, visit www.qld.gov.au/noexcuseforelderabuse

To find out more about International Day for Older Persons go to www.un.org/development/desa/ageing/international-day-of-older-persons-homepage.html

ENDS

Media Contact: Benjamin Mulcahy 0419 562 389