Macedon Ranges council has completed a review for the third year of its participate positive ageing plan, with post COVID-19 engagement and ageism highlighted as some of the challenges.
The participate positive ageing plan responds to the needs, priorities, aspirations and challenges of older people within the shire, and promotes a collaborative approach across council and the community.
Reflecting on the third year of the five year plan at a meeting on November 22, council adopted the review which included post COVID-19 challenges such as health and wellbeing impacts, re-engagement difficulties, and volunteer decline for service delivery.
Speaking to the plan, mayor Annette Death said it was put together with a considerable amount of community consultation.
“As part of community engagement… some participants expressed concerns about attitudes towards older people and the older demographic across the board and the impacts of ageism,” she said.
“The number four in the priority action areas being respected and valued by the community is a really important part of our action plan.”
Cr Death said she wanted to highlight the celebration boxes as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival, where older residents who have made significant contributions to the community are celebrated.
“It’s an event where we can get together and we can acknowledge our senior cohort and key people that are doing great work in that space.
“We hear you, we see you, we recognise you.”
The other plan priorities include that older people stay socially connected and active, that they live well in the community, and their needs are recognised in infrastructure, housing and the built environment.
