Local health forum: Accessing health and wellbeing services for older people

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Finding the right healthcare or aged care support for an older person is not always simple.

You may be looking into aged care for yourself, helping an ageing parent, caring for someone after a fall or hospital stay, supporting a loved one who speaks another language, or working with older people in health, aged care or community services.

SWSPHN wants to hear what those experiences are like.

Join our local health forum to share what has worked well, what has been difficult and what could make it easier for older people to access healthcare and aged care support in South Western Sydney.

The forum will explore a range of topics, including finding information, organising home support, booking appointments, accessing GPs and specialists, moving between hospital and home, and navigating residential aged care, allied health and community supports.

About the forum

The local health forum will focus on the experiences of older people and the people who support them. Discussion will explore:

• how people find information about aged care services and supports
• what makes it difficult to access healthcare or aged care support
• where people may fall through the cracks when moving between services
• how well services work together
• what programs, services or supports are working well
• what could make the system easier to navigate

Who should attend

I’m looking into aged care for myself

For older people starting to need more healthcare or aged care support.

I’m supporting an ageing parent or loved one

For family members, friends and carers helping someone access care.

I’m helping someone who faces barriers

For people supporting someone with language, transport, digital access or service navigation challenges.

I work with older people

For health, aged care, allied health and community workers who see local barriers firsthand.

The forum is open to people who live, work or provide services in South Western Sydney, including:

• older people
• carers, family members and friends who support older people
• health professionals
• aged care workers
• allied health professionals
• community organisations
• service providers

You do not need to be receiving aged care services to attend. The forum is also for people who are starting to need more healthcare support, helping an older loved one, or working with older people in the community. We would like to hear about aged care from all angles.

What we want to hear about

You may want to share your experience of:

• finding information about aged care services
• helping a parent, partner, family member or friend access support
• accessing GPs, specialists, allied health or community services
• moving between hospital, home care or residential aged care
• coordinating care across different services
• language, literacy, transport, cost or eligibility barriers
• services or supports which made a positive difference

Why your feedback matters

Accessing health and aged care services can be difficult. Some people may not know where to start, while others may face long wait times, language barriers, transport issues, digital access problems or challenges moving between services.

We also want to hear what is working well.

Your feedback can help build a clearer picture of local needs and guide future planning for health and aged care services in South Western Sydney.

To read previous forum reports, visit the Local Health Forum page.