north east regional extra | July 14 - 20, 2021
nemedia.com.au
1.
July 14 - 20, 2021
Giving a voice to our ageing community By LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE
FOR Gerard Mansour, Commissioner for Senior Victorians, wanting to help people get the best out of growing older and ageing well has been a “lifelong experience”. The commissioner, who has been in the role for seven years, has held a range of other positions in the aged care sector and strives to give a voice to older people. “My role immediately before this was the inaugural chief executive officer of Leading Age Services Australia; a national aged care association and, prior to that, I ran the state aged care association,” he said. “It’s always been a lifelong experience; I started my career as a youth worker running peak bodies for peak services and I’ve worked in the children and youth sector. “I think our community often underestimates what older people have to offer; there’s an enthusiasm about youth and children but as I got older I noticed that we undervalue what older people contribute to society. “I’ve always had an interest in getting the best out of growing older; aged care is much later on in peoples journeys but I encourage people to look further back down stream and ask questions about what can we do aged 60, or even earlier, to give people the best possible experience of growing older.
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◆ PROVIDING A VOICE: Gerard Mansour is a voice in government for older Victorians.
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