We all want to live in a world where everyone is respected and included regardless of age. This reduces social isolation and builds our confidence and ability to make our own decisions.
Unfortunately this doesn’t always happen. There is an emerging body of evidence that ageist attitudes and behaviours create an environment where elder abuse occurs and leaves people disrespected, disenfranchised and ignored - by service providers, fellow community members and even loved ones. The all-too common examples of older people being overlooked for employment, restricted from health or social services and stereotyped in the media are all instances of ageism in action.
To reduce the impact of ageism on our community we engaged Common Cause Australia to develop the Framing Age Message Guide. The research and resulting tips will help everyone better understand how to communicate about age, ageing and issues affecting older people in a way that reduces ageist attitudes, stereotypes and behaviours.
What is the Framing age message guide?
The guide details research conducted by Common Cause Australia using their unique approach to community engagement. It identifies ways of communicating to shift persuadable audiences to a more supportive mindset.
Based on this research, six ‘Top Tips for Messaging’ have been outlined, including practical ‘before’ and ‘after’ examples. Details on how to structure a persuasive story are also included. There’s even a ‘cheat sheet’ at the end so you have the most important information all in one place!
| Download the Framing Age Message Guide... |
 Download the Framing Age Message Guide Cheat Sheet... |
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Who are we?
We are a consortium of multi-agency Elder Abuse Prevention Networks (EAPNs) led by Southern Melbourne Primary Care Partnership, Eastern Community Legal Centre, Merri Health and Barwon Community Legal Service. Together, we represent five of the nine EAPNs funded by the Victorian Government.
- Barwon Elder Abuse Primary Prevention Network
- Eastern Elder Abuse Network
- Northern Metropolitan Elder Abuse Prevention Network
- Southern Melbourne Elder Abuse Prevention Network
- Western Metropolitan Elder Abuse Prevention Network
Funding for this project was provided by Southern Melbourne Primary Care Partnership, Barwon Community Legal Service, Bayside City Council, Better Place Australia, Bolton Clarke, Eastern Community Legal Centre, Glen Eira City Council, Merri Health and Women’s Health in the South East.
Southern Melbourne Primary Care Partnership acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.
Questions?
Do you have more questions about the Framing age message guide? Are you interested to find out more on how you can build your skills to use the guide?
Contact: Graeme Westaway | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 9556 5314
