Rural Seniors Research – Pilot Survey North West Tasmania (Staff)

This study was carried out over a two year period, between 2005 and 2007. It was conducted by a research team from the University of Tasmania and demonstrated high levels of community involvement and social activity by older people living in the Cradle-Coast area of Tasmania.

Led by Prof Judi Walker, the University’s Professor of Rural Health, and involving researchers from rural health, economics, nursing, pathology and environmental studies, this study began in 2005 with about 200 people aged over 65 years living in the Cradle-Coast region.

The study’s aim was to improve the evidence for planning health services in rural and regional Tasmania as our populations age. Health service policy and planning presently lacks the evidence needed to take account of the complex social and demographic changes taking place in rural Australia, and the differing needs and expectations of older people living in rural settings.

The research involved a two-stage study, with baseline interviews repeated at 18 months in order to map changes in the situations and service needs of these rural residents as they age.

This study was also designed as a pilot for a larger multi-state study to look at rural ageing services across the country.

Findings from this Phase I of the study show:-

• The group formed a very stable population, with most living in the area for over 40 years, and only 31% living there less than ten years
• There were strong social networks and supports, with 93% having family and/or close friends supporting them on a regular basis
• 39.4% lived alone
• 36.3% had a pet
• The group is more mobile than anticipated—32.1% walk at least daily; 77.2% have access to a household car; buses (14%) and taxis (10.9%) are used less frequently, which may be due to availability
• The study group are generally happy with their quality of life with over two-thirds reporting it as good or very good. This is in spite of their, or their partner’s, health limiting their activities a little (39.3%) or a lot (18.8%)
• There is a high level of involvement in social and community activities, together with hobby and other leisure activities
• Health services used by the study group over the 12 months prior to the study were dominated by GP and pharmacy services, with a high level of satisfaction with those services
• the gaps in services identified included:
  • Transport to specialist and other out-of-area health services
  • Dental services
  • Household maintenance, especially heavy cleaning and housework
  • Maintenance of house and garden, meal preparation and shopping
• The overwhelming majority (88.5%) said they had no contingency plans in changing circumstances or a major life event should force them to move from their current home. More than 80% said they would want to remain in their existing community, even if their actually residential setting should change

The Phase II results show only incremental, but important, changes from Phase I, with participants maintaining their levels of community support and engagement in the face of a gradual but inexorable loss and increasing disability. Taken together, the essential findings are that, for these rural older people, social engagement is crucial to maintaining quality of life in ageing and the most needed services are those that enable the rural aged to maintain their community connections as they get older and more disabled.

Phase I Research Report

Phase II Research Report