Private Transport Access Among Older People: Identifying The Disadvantaged

Private transport is important in enabling older people living in the community to maintain their independence and social networks. Access to this resource remains a major concern for older people. This study examines the demographic risk factors that restrict older people's access to private transport. The findings lead to policy recommendations directed towards self-reliance. Analysis, based on the study's household survey consisting of a sample of noninstitutionalised older Gold Coast people (N=401), reveals that there is a sizable group (29%) who do not drive. Of single older women, 21% report that the inability to drive causes significant hardship. Being female, aged over 80 years, receiving a full government pension and possessing a disability are significant factors to the inability to drive. Within coupled households the preference for male drivers may lead to the depreciation of women's driving skills. Since these women are likely to become widowed, they eventually lose their primary source of transport. Programmes delaying the surrender of licences - such as campaigns encouraging married older women not to surrender their driver licences prematurely - will alleviate the pressure of the growing demand for government subsidised transport services and promote greater independence among the older people.

Private Transport Access Among Older People: Identifying The Disadvantaged

Private transport is important in enabling older people living in the community to maintain their independence and social networks. Access to this resource remains a major concern for older people. This study examines the demographic risk factors that restrict older people's access to private transport. The findings lead to policy recommendations directed towards self-reliance. Analysis, based on the study's household survey consisting of a sample of noninstitutionalised older Gold Coast people (N=401), reveals that there is a sizable group (29%) who do not drive. Of single older women, 21% report that the inability to drive causes significant hardship. Being female, aged over 80 years, receiving a full government pension and possessing a disability are significant factors to the inability to drive. Within coupled households the preference for male drivers may lead to the depreciation of women's driving skills. Since these women are likely to become widowed, they eventually lose their primary source of transport. Programmes delaying the surrender of licences - such as campaigns encouraging married older women not to surrender their driver licences prematurely - will alleviate the pressure of the growing demand for government subsidised transport services and promote greater independence among the older people

Government Policies On Employment And Superannuation: Contradictions And Consequences For Older Australians

Older women today are most likely to live on limited incomes and are more dependent on the age pension than men. This paper examines the Federal government's employment policies that have reduced older women's opportunities to save for retirement and the government's attempt in recent years to equalise women's economic status. These policies also discouraged the participation of women in the paid workforce and confined them to low paid, part time, casual employment. Up until 1988 very few superannuation schemes allowed part time and casual workers to join or retain membership. As Superannuation Guarantee Charge is based on continuous paid work people in unpaid work, such as household chores and caring, are excluded. The principle of self-reliance as reflected in the Home and Community Care programme will further erode women's employment opportunities since it relies on unpaid carers, who are mostly women. Recently the gender gap has narrowed owing to increased Federal funding for childcare, the equal pay case, affirmative action and the universal superannuation provisions that bridge broken work patterns. However these come too late for today's older women. The past inequalities experienced by Australian women are now amplified during their retirement. Many older women today are the major recipients of the very institution that contributed to their lower economic status.

Socio-Economic Impact Of Social Ties On Community Care For Older Australians

Mounting pressure on government expenditure, from the needs of an ageing population, has led to the introduction of the Home and Community Care (HACC) programme, based upon the self-reliance principle. This programme may, however, disadvantage certain groups, as its success depends, in part on the informal support from family and friends. It is essential, therefore that we examine older Australians individual characteristics to help explain the levels of informal care and support presently available, as represented by the social network. Using a regression analysis of the information collected from 401 non-institutionalised older Gold Coast residents sampled in a household survey conducted in 1999, we test two hypotheses: 1. gender, education and household type explain levels of social network accessed by older people; 2. older males are more vulnerable than older females to the social network effect of living alone. Based on the findings of our study, we have concerns about the accessibility of the informal care and support (from family and friends) available for older men living alone as the level of the social network was the lowest for this group of older Australians.

Government Policies On Employment And Superannuation: Contradictions And Consequences For Older Australians

Older women today are most likely to live on limited incomes and are more dependent on the age pension than men. This paper examines the Federal government's employment policies that have reduced older women's opportunities to save for retirement and the government's attempt in recent years to equalise women's economic status. These policies also discouraged the participation of women in the paid workforce and confined them to low paid, part time, casual employment. Up until 1988 very few superannuation schemes allowed part time and casual workers to join or retain membership. As Superannuation Guarantee Charge is based on continuous paid work people in unpaid work, such as household chores and caring, are excluded. The principle of self-reliance as reflected in the Home and Community Care programme will further erode women's employment opportunities since it relies on unpaid carers, who are mostly women. Recently the gender gap has narrowed owing to increased Federal funding for childcare, the equal pay case, affirmative action and the universal superannuation provisions that bridge broken work patterns. However these come too late for today's older women. The past inequalities experienced by Australian women are now amplified during their retirement. Many older women today are the major recipients of the very institution that contributed to their lower economic status

Socio-Economic Impact Of Social Ties On Community Care For Older Australians

Mounting pressure on government expenditure, from the needs of an ageing population, has led to the introduction of the Home and Community Care (HACC) programme, based upon the self-reliance principle. This programme may, however, disadvantage certain groups, as its success depends, in part on the informal support from family and friends. It is essential, therefore that we examine older Australians individual characteristics to help explain the levels of informal care and support presently available, as represented by the social network. Using a regression analysis of the information collected from 401 non-institutionalised older Gold Coast residents sampled in a household survey conducted in 1999, we test two hypotheses: 1. gender, education and household type explain levels of social network accessed by older people; 2. older males are more vulnerable than older females to the social network effect of living alone. Based on the findings of our study, we have concerns about the accessibility of the informal care and support (from family and friends) available for older men living alone as the level of the social network was the lowest for this group of older Australians

Socioeconomic Differentials of the Aged on Queensland's Gold Coast: Why Education Matters

This is a socioeconomic study of Gold Coast aged residents to explore their access to private resources (wealth, health and social network) by focusing on individual characteristics (gender and education). The analysis tests the hypothesis that socioeconomic differentials exist between men and women aged 65 and over, by conducting a household survey of 401 residents in 1999. Issues specific to Queensland's Gold Coast (e.g. length of residence and accommodation type) were also investigated. The analyses revealed that when segregated into single-person and couple households, more single women were economically disadvantaged than single men, but more single men were found to be socially disadvantaged than single women. Education was significant in explaining socioeconomic differentials in both household types and explained some of the gender differences in single-person households

Application of Rigour and Credibility in Qualitative Document Analysis: Lessons Learnt from a Case Study

This paper probes functions and processes of qualitative document analysis (QDA), a method widely used in case study research. It firstly demonstrates the application of a QDA framework to inform a case study of women entrepreneurs in rural Australia; and provides insights into the lessons learnt, including strengths and limitations of QDA. Secondly, the paper provides guidelines for novice researchers seeking to use thematic analysis in a QDA process, arguing for rigour in naming assumptions and explicitness about the procedures employed. The paper contributes to discussion in the literature that positions QDA not only as a convenient tool, but as a method embedded in a conceptual framework integral to the credibility and rigour of the qualitative “story” and what makes that story feel “right” to both researcher and reader (Corbin & Strauss, 2008)

Labour Market Decisions of Australian Families Coping with Mental and Physical Disabilities

This paper examines the labour market decisions of family members of individuals afflicted with a disability. The analysis, based on data collected in the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers 2003, is confined to family members of working age who reside with a person of disability. The investigation segregates by disability (mental and physical), reflecting different resource requirements. The study found that the presence of a mentally disabled family member increased the value of unpaid work of others in the home and reduced their propensity to participate in the labour force. Of families afflicted with a mental disability, females were less likely to participate in the labour force compared to females in other families. Male members of families afflicted with a mental disability were likely to withdraw from the labour market when receiving a government transfer payment – possibly reflecting the limited care resources within these families.Ageing, Disability, Disabled, Families, Family