PURPOSE OF SURVEY. » COTA Victoria chose to conduct a survey that would replicate and extend the data from the 2015 NSW 50+ Consumer Survey

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2 PURPOSE OF SURVEY» COTA Victoria chose to conduct a survey that would replicate and extend the data from the 2015 NSW 50+ Consumer Survey» The same issues as the COTA NSW were focussed upon:» How older people move around their community» How older people access information 2

3 AIMS 1) To replicate and extend data from the COTA NSW Consumer Survey from 2015 and provide a significant interstate baseline 2) To gain quantitative data around the needs, priorities, views and opinions of older people in Victoria so as to inform our policy-related work 3) To engage with non-joiners of groups and allow their voices to be heard 4) To engage with those situated rurally or remotely 5) To engage with seniors of diverse backgrounds 3

4 WHAT COTA RESEARCH ALREADY SUGGESTS COTA Victoria» Older people in Victoria are a growing population and have a diversity of needs and experiences» This population consistently seeks information on a range of financial, healthcare and social issues» People from CALD and Indigenous Australian backgrounds have specific needs» People over 65 are the least digitally included group which increases the risk of the cohort becoming socially isolated and unable to access information to make well-informed decisions (Dodd, 2016) COTA Tasmania» Better access to information enables social connection and reduces risk of social exclusion» Geographical isolation is linked to social isolation» There is frustration regarding everything being online (COTA Tasmania, 2015) COTA NSW» Living alone equates to poorer quality of life rankings and a greater risk of social and information isolation» People living rurally or remotely report greater difficulty getting around than those living in metropolitan areas» The navigability of some government websites is a concern, (COTA NSW, 2015) COTA Australia» Older people find being on hold for long periods of time, being constantly transferred or requiring multiple calls when seeking information a major issue (COTA Australia, 2016) 4

5 INTRODUCTION» In the two decades spanning 1994 to 2004, Victoria s population aged 65 and over increased from 11.8% to 14.7%, with the proportion over 85 doubling (1. to 1.9%).» The population of Victoria is culturally and ethnically diverse with 28.7% born overseas» Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represent 0.7% of Victoria s population 5

6 RESPONDENTS TO SURVEY Age of respondents Gender of respondents 3% 1% 1% 3% years 12% 27% 6% 47% years years years years years years 59.3% 40.6% Man Woman Other 85 years or over 6

7 LIVING SITUATION Living situation by age Other Alone Parent/other relative Friend/Housemate Grandchild/Foster Children Child/ren Spouse/Partner 7

8 LIVING SITUATION Living situation by gender Woman Man Spouse/ Partner Child/ren Grandchildren Friend/Housemate Parent/Other Relative Alone Other 8

9 EMPLOYMENT STATUS Female work status by age I am retired I am unemployed I am a homemaker I am self-employed I am engaged in casual work I work part time I work full time 9

10 EMPLOYMENT STATUS Males work status by age I am retired I am unemployed I am a homemaker I am self-employed I am engaged in casual work I work part time I work full time

11 EDUCATIONAL STATUS Education Status by age Other, please specify... Postgraduate Degree Bachelor Degree Diploma/Certificate Trade Certificate High School

12 HOW OLDER VICTORIANS GET AROUND 12

13 INTRODUCTION» Having the ability to physically move throughout ones community so to access services, work or volunteer, perform activities of daily living and socialise is fundamental to people being able to engage with society in an effective and appropriate manner.» Restricted movement, deteriorating physical function, widowhood and isolation are key factors that may prevent this from occurring. 13

14 PREFERRED MODE OF TRANSPORT Other, please specify... Bicycle Walk Train Tram Uber Taxi Bus Someone else drives me I drive myself 14

15 PREFERRED MODE OF TRANSPORT Other Bicycle Walk Train Tram Uber Taxi Bus Melbourne North North East North GippslandSouth Gippsland West South West Some else drives Drive Self 15

16 USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT No Yes Melbourne South West North North East West North Gippsland South Gippsland 16

17 ISSUES WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORT Other I do not have any issues with public transport Limited services available It's difficult to read and/or understand timetables It's too expensive Unexpected changes to the bus/train/tram timetable Unexpected changes to the bus/train/tram route It's difficult to get to and from public transport Its not available when I need it 17

18 ISSUES WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORT Other I do not have any issues with public transport Limited serices available It's difficult to read and/or understand timetables It's too expensive Unexpected changes to the bus/train/tram timetable Unexpected changes to the bus/train/tram route It's difficult to get to and from public transport Melbourne South West North North East West North Gippsland South Gippsland It's not available when I need it 18

19 USE OF COMMUNITY TRANSPORT SERVICES I do not use the services I use both of these services Multi-Purpose Taxi Program Community Transport 19

20 EASE OF MOVEMENT Easy/very easy access to services by age Shops/Services Health Services Clubs, Churches and social activities Sporting and Fitness Activities Friends and family Place where you work or volunteer 20

21 EASE OF MOVEMENT Easy/very easy access to services by region Shops and Services Health Services Clubs, churches and social activities Sporting and Fitness Activities Friends and Family Melbourne South West North North East West North Gippsland South Gippsland Place where you work or volunteer 21

22 PERSONAL BARRIERS - AGE Other There are no barriers that prevent me from getting around No/poor public transport close by I have no one to help me get around I cant afford to get out and about I don t have a car I don t feel safe in my neighbourhood/community I live in an isolated area I have trouble walking about 22

23 PERSONAL BARRIERS - REGION Other There are no barriers that prevent me from getting around No/poor public transport close by I have no one to help me get around I can't afford to get out and about I don t have a car I don t feel stage in my neighbourhood/community I live in an isolated area Melbourne South West North North East West North Gippsland South Gippsland I have trouble walking about 23

24 PHYSICAL BARRIERS - AGE Nothing in the physical environment makes getting around difficult Not enough public toilets Poor signage and direction in public areas A lack of pick up/drop off points at shopping centres, transport hubs, hospitals, etc Not enough pedestrian crossings Not enough accessibility parking close to downtown and shopping precincts Not enough seating in public places and transport hubs Poor lighting in public areas No footpaths or uneven, broken footpaths 24

25 PHYSICAL BARRIERS Physical barriers by region Nothing in the phyiscal environment makes getting around difficult Not enough public toilets Poor signage and direction in public areas A lack of pick up/drop off points at shopping centres, transport hubs, hospitals, etc. Not enough pedestrian crossings Not enough accessibility parking close to downtown and shopping precincts Not enough seating in public places and transport hubs Melbourne South West North North East West North Gippsland South Gippsland Poor lighting in public areas 25

26 QUALITY OF LIFE Use Don t use Yes No Yes No Age Mobility aids Physical barriers Personal barriers Independent movement through the community is related to higher quality of life rankings I drive myself Someone else drives me Bus Taxi Uber Tram Train Walk Bicycle Other Preferred Mode of Transport 26

27 TRANSPORT - SUMMARY» Older people are heavily reliant on driving themselves particularly in regional areas People from Melbourne were also the best equipped to utilise public transport» Physical barriers such as had greater prevalence in regional Victoria than with Melbourne-based respondents» Immobility (10.9%), poor public transport access (12.2%) and isolation (6.7%) particularly affected the older age ranges and those living in regional Victoria. 27

28 HOW OLDER VICTORIANS ACCESS INFORMATION 28

29 INTRODUCTION» data suggests that 86% of Australian households have internet access, up from just 67% in » ABS (2014) suggests that only 51% of people over the age of 65 are users of the internet» The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2016 found that people over 65 in Australia have an inclusion rating on 41.6, the Australian average of 54.5.» Victoria s older people had a very low digital inclusion score of just

30 MAJOR ISSUES Other No issues Government Pensions and Concessions Employment Legal Issues Products and Services Physical and Social Services Community and Aged Care Healthcare Housing Financial Services 30

31 EASE OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION: ONLINE VS PAPER Very Difficult Difficult Neither Easy nor difficult Easy Very Easy Online Paper Online Paper Online Paper Online Paper Online Paper Making key decisions which maximise your health and well-being Making legal decisions Making social connections Planning for potential care and support needs Making important decisions in a timely manner 31

32 What would better enable you to access the information you need in a timely manner by age Other, please specify... Receiving regular seniors news by Information delivered in my own language Through my seniors or community group Group information session in my local neighbourhood house Group information session in my local library One on one support to use the Internet 32

33 HOW PEOPLE FIND INFORMATION Other, please specify... Multicultural or ethno specific organisations Local council White/yellow pages Library The product/service provider A professional Work colleagues Family/friends Internet 33

34 FRUSTRATIONS WITH TELEPHONE Other I have no major frustrations when seeking information over the telephone Overseas calls centres Press button options Voice recognition systems Being on hold The operator's difficulty understanding me Difficulty understanding the operator Knowledge of customer service staff 34

35 FRUSTRATIONS WITH FACE- TO- FACE Other I have no major frustrations when seeking information face to face Travel distance when seeking information face to face Length of time to get a follow-up appointment Queues Lack of engagement by customer services staff Knowledge of customer service staff 35

36 FRUSTRATIONS WITH INTERNET Other I have no major frustrations when seeking information over the Internet Poor internet connection/availability Information hard to find Out of date information Need to register and log-on to access a website Sometimes I don t get a response to my query/message sometimes websites don t seem to work properly I don t know how to search for a website I can't find my way around some websites 36

37 USE OF THE INTERNET Other Online Banking Video Communication Travel/Holiday Planning Research Gaming Newspapers/Magazines Music Social Media Movies/TV Progams Paying Bills Shopping Gambling s 37

38 USE OF GOVERNMENT WEBSITES (Elder Rights Advocacy) (Information for older Victorians) (Seniors Information Service) (Public Transport) (Aged Care) (for Centrelink, Medicare, ATO, Veterans Affairs & NDIS) (Births, Deaths & Marriages) Never Accessed Very Easy Easy Neither Easy or difficult Difficult Very Difficult 38

39 INFORMATION ACCESS -SUMMARY» The Seniors Information Officer up to of calls being related to people being unable to access information» Financial services, government pensions, concessions and healthcare are the major issues Consistent with data found by COTA Tasmania and COTA Australia, barriers to seeking information are not limited to the internet,» Physical barriers such as a lack of access, not receiving responses to online enquiries, the provision of generic, impersonal information and poor navigability of sites remain issues.» Websites that house information on a wide range of topics e.g. mygov and MyAgedCare were found to be more difficult to navigate than sites such as PTV which services only one topic, across all age groups 39

40 CONCLUSION» As technology develops and is utilised at a rapid pace, it is critical that governments, businesses and organisations do not leave people behind» Older people throughout Victoria are heavily reliant on their ability to access services independently» The Australian Media and Communications Authority estimates 79% of older Australians have utilised the internet at some point leaving 21% of older people without easy access to information regarding their health, finances and other services» The frustrations and difficulties that many older Victorians, particularly those rural areas and without internet access face regarding their ability to physically get around and access information» This report strongly supports data from COTA NSW 50+ Survey and COTA Tasmania, and advocates that the issues related to access as in this survey are not confined to geographic borders. 40

41 REFERENCES ABS. (2014) Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, Retrieved from Aged and Community Services Australia. (2015). Social Isolation and Loneliness among Older Australian (1). Retrieved from Loneliness-Paper.pdf.aspx?lang=en-AU Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2014). Australian Demographic Statistics, Jun (Cat. No Canberra, Australia: ABS/ Retrieved from Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). Migration, Australia, (Cat. No Canberra, Australia: ABS. Retrieved from Australian Communications and Media Authority. (2015). Communications report Report 1 Australians digital lives. Retrieved from Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia. (2016). Consumer Engagement in Aged Care: Report. Commissioned by COTA Australia. Council on the Ageing (COTA) New South Wales (NSW). (2015). Consumer Survey Sydney, Australia. Council on the Ageing (COTA) Tasmania. (2015). Finding out: Supporting older people to access the right information at the right time. Tasmania, Australia: Author Dodd, R. (2016). Information needs of older Victorians A Seniors Information Victoria Project. COTA Victoria. Edwards, S. & Fontana, A. (2004). Legal information needs of older people. Commissioned by Law and Justice Foundation of NSW. Sydney, Australia: Author. Ewing, S. (2015). Australia s digital divide is narrowing, but getting deeper. Retrieved from Thomas, J., Barraket, J., Ewing, S., MacDonald, T., Mundell, M., & Tucker, J. (2016). Measuring Australia s Digital Divide: The Australian Digital Inclusion Index Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, for Telstra. doi: 41