Recently, The Plug-in was a guest at a webinar series hosted by Health Translation SA sharing insights into what is important for researchers to know when working with older Australians.

The webinar was presented by Rachael Nielsen, Head of The Plug-in, and Ian Halkett, an active research participant and consumer representative.

You can watch the full webinar to hear from Rachael and Ian about the importance of working alongside older people.

Rachael was able to share what The Plug-in team has learnt from running Plug-in projects over the past 8 years working with our community.

Rachael NielsenHead of The Plug-in
“There are a few assumptions out there about older people. A myth that we’d like to bust is that older people aren’t busy, because older people are busy! They’re very busy. A lot of people continue to juggle work, caregiving responsibilities, community roles and very active social lives. It’s important to not assume that just because people may be retired, they have lots of free time. It’s respecting that older people have many things on their plate, respecting their time and expertise.”

Ian has a work background in both private and public sector, housing cooperatives and a large focus in his career working alongside consumers. Now in retirement, he is passionate about involvement in consumer boards and projects to contribute his own life experiences.

Ian HalkettConsumer representative
“On a personal level, I see it as a way of keeping myself active myself. I enjoy the involvement and testing my knowledge and skills. I’m a curious person – I look forward to learning. I have to continually have new stuff to bore the grandchildren with, and it’s also good to meet and work with other people, both researchers and other participants.”

Ian highlighted that lived experience isn’t limited to a particular condition or circumstance, but that it includes a person’s familial, social, professional and recreational experience, and the influences of media and social media. He also shared the importance valuing people’s experiences that have been built through decades of living.

Ian HalkettConsumer representative
“I think it’s important for researchers to recognise that most of the volunteers, most consumers that put their hands up are altruistic. That might be a less-common word in today’s environment. They might not get things right, but they are participating in the community interest as they see it. Volunteers don’t always have strong understanding of [researchers’] methodologies, their jargon. I’m a practicing dyslexic so I have a very low tolerance for acronyms, for example. It’s surprising even now, how often you get things that the author reads as common sense which are full of jargon and particularly acronyms.”

We are very thankful for the time Ian gave to share his experiences and help shed light on what is important to consider when working alongside community. It was a pleasure to partner with Health Translation SA to have the opportunity to share and bring attention to this important topic.

Are you interested in sharing your experiences if the opportunity arises?

The Plug-in and COTA SA are always looking for opportunities to raise the voice of people aged 50+. Although we speak from years of working alongside older South Australians, it is more powerful to hear your personal experiences. It’s a vital part of shaping services and policies that reflect the experiences of people aged 50+.

Email us at connect@theplugin.com.au and share your thoughts on the webinar and if you’d be interested in participating in a similar format in the future.

This webinar focused on health research. We welcome you to let us know if you have a particular topic that you are passionate about and would be interested in being a spokesperson for. We often seek experiences that relate to the housing crisis, rising cost-of-living, accessing and navigating services, ageism, social connections or isolation, and regional and remote experiences.

The types of opportunities to share your experience and perspective can include:

  • media to advance COTA SA’s advocacy – click here
  • conference panels that highlight older people perspectives
  • communicating research findings through video translation – click here

Follow the links to see more examples of how our community members have helped bring older perspectives to the attention of the wider community.

You can also subscribe to COTA SA’s YouTube channel – there are a range of videos ranging from Strength for Life, The Plug-in Projects, Rainbow Rights, Climate Change, and more.

The information you share with us helps COTA SA and The Plug-in to understand what is important to older people.  Through your participation and contribution, you are raising the voices of older people and supporting the important work of COTA SA.

Contact us

You can contact The Plug-in anytime to learn more about partnering with us, participating in our projects and other opportunities to get involved.

08 8224 5526
email to: connect@theplugin.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ThePluginAus