Coping With Bereavement In Older Age
Coping with bereavement in older age: How bereavement impacts the personal finances, health and social wellbeing of an individual.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1: That NSW Health explore options for active referral to grief counsellors immediately post-bereavement, possibly through hospital based social workers.
Recommendation 2: That the NSW and Australian Governments ensure that services are available to provide immediate post-bereavement assistance with funeral planning and applying for benefits.
Recommendation 3: That the NSW and Australian Governments improve awareness of the free financial advice service provided by Centrelink following changed circumstances frequently caused by older life bereavement.
Recommendation 4: That the NSW Government maintains the $2.50 daily all day public transport cap for pensioners and seniors.
Recommendation 5: That the NSW Government engages with local councils to explore ways of disseminating information about social activities, seniors groups and Home Care services to people experiencing grief and social isolation.
Recommendation 6: That the NSW Government encourages local community services to provide free or highly subsidised exercise classes for older adults, designed and delivered by experts in the needs and constraints of older people.
Recommendation 7: That the NSW Government establishes a program which provides free or highly subsidised home maintenance services for pensioners.
Recommendation 8: That bereavement of a spouse/partner during the last 24 months for a person over 65 be included in the eligibility criteria for priority social housing assistance.