Press Release
15 April 2011

Seniors chief flags the big issues for older Australians

National Seniors Australia chief executive, Michael O’Neill, has flagged rising living costs and access to world class health and aged care as the big issues facing older Australians.

Speaking at a Probus-hosted forum in Melbourne yesterday, O’Neill said retirees on fixed incomes, with little capacity to adjust, were struggling with rising living costs.

“Soaring utility costs and private health insurance premiums are knocking pensioners and self funded retirees around,” he said.

“With an overstretched hospital system, maintaining private health insurance is vital to older Australians. Seniors want to know that, when they need it, the care is there and it’s world class. But rising premiums are making that guarantee of care harder and harder to hold on to”.

O’Neill went on to suggest how government spending priorities were reflecting the lower value placed on senior-specific policy areas.

“Why is it that as a nation we can afford to spend $60 billion on super high-speed broadband but not provide fair wages for the aged care nurses who look after our most vulnerable Australians?” he asked.

More broadly, O’Neill identified ageism, social isolation and the concept of “ageing as a burden” as issues to watch.

“In general though, as we live healthier longer, there’s much to embrace and celebrate about growing older,” he said.

Victorian Minister for Ageing, David Davis, and St. Vincent de Paul policy manager, Gavin Dufty, also addressed an audience of around 100.

Michael O’Neill is available for comment

With a quarter of a million members Australia-wide, National Seniors is the consumer lobby for the over 50s. It is the fourth largest organisation of its type in the world.

Media contact: Sarah Saunders 0409 055 156