Office for Ageing Well is committed to creating age-friendly communities to support South Australians in living well and staying active as they age.
South Australians are living longer. South Australia has the highest proportion of older people on mainland Australia, with over 700,000 residents aged over 50, making up 39% of the population.
The Age-Friendly SA Strategy (PDF 1.7 MB) shows the South Australian Government's commitment to making services, communities, and the state welcoming for all ages.
The Outcomes of the Statewide Conversations with Older South Australians (PDF 3.3 MB) captured discussions, which shaped the five key priorities of the Age Friendly SA Strategy.
Five key priorities
- Home, community and environment: Creating spaces that are inviting and accessible to all ages; encouraging a sense of community, as well as safety, security and independence. Enjoying nature and taking care of the environment for the future.
- Making a contribution: Supporting opportunities for the positive contribution, lifelong learning and active participation of older people. Ensuring the voices of older people are sought out and heard.
- Making it easier to get around: Well-maintained paths for walking and cycling. Reliable and affordable transport, convenient parking, and being able to travel safely around our city and neighbourhoods, are all part of maintaining connection to community and independence.
- Intergenerational connectedness: Creating environments and communities that bring together people of all ages and stages of life; promoting strong community connections; building trust; challenging ageism; and creating opportunities for shared activities.
- Age-friendly services: Ensuring services are designed and delivered in ways that are inclusive of and respectful to the needs and wants of older people.
Themes
The Age-Friendly SA Strategy also features three broad themes for action: Community Connections; Access and Activity; and Digital Inclusion, which encourage cross-sector partnerships and present significant opportunities to drive the state government’s age friendly work across the 5 priority areas.
The Age-Friendly Neighbourhoods Guidelines and Toolkit for Local Government (PDF 4.0 MB) provides guidelines for local governments in South Australia to create age-friendly communities. It outlines strategies to ensure environments are inclusive, accessible, and supportive for older adults.
A guide to improve services for older South Australians
A Guide to Age-Friendly Services helps front-line staff make their services welcoming for older South Australians. It also supports organisations in being inclusive and accessible. Visit the webpage to learn what older people want in customer service and get tips to improve your service.
Age-Friendly SA Grants
Age-Friendly SA Grants provide funding to local governments and equivalent organisations in South Australia to create inclusive, accessible, and supportive environments for older adults. These grants align with the Age Friendly SA Strategy's key priorities, such as community engagement, mobility, and intergenerational connections.