Planning for an ageing community

 

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has developed the Local Government Ageing Toolbox: A guide to action to provide councils with downloadable tools and online resources to develop an ageing strategy. To guide the development of the toolbox, ALGA:

• reviewed council ageing strategies, identifying the key principles for strategy development and implementation;
• interviewed council officers to explore the varying approaches taken by local government authorities to population ageing; and
• produced a developmental toolbox, allowing the toolbox to be evaluated by a range of stakeholders in relation to methodology, content and usability.

This toolbox is an initiative of the Australian Local Government Population Ageing Action Plan 2004-2008, which aims to build the capacity of local government to respond to population ageing.

Using the toolbox

The toolbox is a practical aid for those interested in developing a strategy in response to population ageing. The toolbox will not answer all the questions you may have about developing an ageing strategy, but it tries to suggest ways to address some of the most important questions as well as indicating where further information is available.

The toolbox is structured around the five broad stages of community planning:

• Commitment to action: Responding to the growing older population
• Taking account: Understanding the needs of seniors
• Community consultation: Engaging the community on ageing issues
• Action planning: Preparing for local action on ageing
• Monitoring progress: Implementing ageing actions

At each stage you'll find downloadable tools and online resources to assist in the development of an ageing strategy. While the stages are presented sequentially, the toolbox has been designed to be used according to individual needs. You can either work step by step through each stage from start to finish or you can consult relevant sections according to need. Rather than a prescription, consider the stages as a road map, recognising that there are multiple routes to any given destination.

The toolbox also includes a collection of case studies which showcase the strategic efforts of individual councils in responding to population ageing (available shortly).

The toolbox will be updated regularly to ensure it continues to be relevant and useful. To make suggestions contact:

See also: Resource Centre