Elder Rights Australia

Older people, their families, and carers often call us when they:

• Are finding it difficult to access aged care services.
• Have a concern about their aged care services.
• Don’t feel like their aged care services are meeting their needs.
• Want to make a complaint.

ERA’s team of professional advocates is here to ensure your rights are upheld and your voice is heard whether you are living independently at home or in residential care.

Our services are free, confidential, and independent of the government and aged care providers. For information or support, call our Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600

MEDIA RELEASE
Respect for Older Women
An innovation in Residential Aged Care

A national program raising awareness of the inequalities and promoting respect for older women has been picked up in residential aged care.

In an Australian first, BaptistCare in Warrigal was one of two providers joining a pilot with older women living in its Abbey Gardens aged care home. Nine older women participated in a workshop that explored the contributions of older women, what respect means to them and the meaningful ways respect is shown. The older women’s stories are now being shared in a Recipes for Respect resource to help promote respect for older women living in residential aged care.

The project is part of The Biscuit Tin program, an initiative of Celebrate Ageing Ltd, developed to combat the gendered ageism, inequalities and disrespect experienced by many older women. The symbolism of the biscuit tin is a reminder of the many and varied contributions of older women – including their maternal and nurturing roles, which are often devalued.

Lauren Robinson, Residential Care Services Manager of BaptistCare Abbey Gardens said

The Biscuit Tin project provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the valuable and often invisible contributions older women make to our rural community. The project also gave us an innovative opportunity to explore what respect means to the older women living in our home. Their stories provide us with valuable insights on the simple everyday actions like listening – that tell older women we respect them. These learnings will help to guide us as we continue to improve our services.

The project was a partnership with Elder Rights Australia, the state based peak advocacy service for older people, CEO Debra Nicholl said

We know respect matters to older women living in aged care and are very aware that The Standards and Guidelines for Aged Care call for older people to be treated with dignity and respect. The Older Women’s Recipes for Respect, Warragul resource celebrates the contributions of older women in a rural community, often invisible but absolutely critical. It also explores the different ways respect is experienced and valued, including maintaining connections with family and being heard and supported by aged care service providers. Being valued and respected is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is critical to our health, wellbeing and equality. Our work at Elder Rights Australia, the state based peak advocacy service for older people, clearly tells us that older women are not equal, and that the inequalities are growing.

I know we need a toolkit of a thousand resources to make the culture shifts needed to promote equality and respect for older women in Australia. The Biscuit Tin is one powerful resource in that kit, and we were proud to be part of it.



Campaign webpage: celebrateageing.com/thebiscuittin

Contacts

Debra Nicholl, CEO Elder Rights Advocacy: 0418 372 243 or [email protected]
Lauren Robinson
Rochelle Beatty, Biscuit Tin Program Coordinator [email protected]

https://elderrights.org.au/media-releases/respect-for-older-women-an-innovation-in-residential-aged-care/

Respect for Older Women: An innovation in Residential Aged Care - Elder Rights Australia   A national program raising awareness of the inequalities and promoting respect for older women has been picked up in residential aged care. In an Australian first, BaptistCare in Warrigal was one of two providers joining a pilot with older women living in its Abbey Gardens aged care home. Nine ol...

Want to know where you can find ERA advocates out in the community in June?

Go to our website Events - Elder Rights Australia to see the events we are attending and information sessions we are delivering throughout June to coincide with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)

ERA offers free, informative sessions delivered by our experienced advocacy team.

These sessions are designed to inform and empower older people, their families, and those who support them including Aged Care Staff.
We welcome bookings from aged care providers, retirement villages, seniors’ groups, community organisations, and health professionals. Whether you prefer an in-person session at your location or online delivery, we can tailor the format to suit your needs.

To book a session, simply click on the following link Book an education session - https://elderrights.org.au/get-involved/events/

This week marks National Reconciliation Week, held from 27 May to 3 June. These dates recognise two important milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey, the 1967 Referendum and the historic Mabo decision.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to reflect, learn and acknowledge our shared histories, cultures and achievements. It is also a reminder that reconciliation is something we all have a role in through listening, learning, respect and action.
The 2026 theme, “All In”, is a powerful reminder that reconciliation requires commitment every single day, not just during one week of the year. It calls on all Australians to stand together, walk together and continue creating a future built on truth, understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.


Artwork by artist Otis Hope Carey