- Cook Government supports Advocare website upgrade with $52,592 Lotterywest grant
- New website will improve online access to advocacy information and services for older Western Australians
- Website will be co-designed with seniors to ensure it meets their needs and goals
Seniors and Ageing Minister Don Punch has today presented a Lotterywest grant of $52,592 to Advocare to improve its online information and advocacy services for older Western Australians.
Advocare is a community based, not-for-profit organisation providing advocacy and support services for seniors. Over the past year it has received more than 10,000 calls for assistance, resulting in 5,199 advocacy cases and 1,330 calls to the Elder Abuse Helpline from across the State.
During that time, Advocare's community visitor volunteers also supported more than 160 lonely and socially isolated older people across the Perth metro area. This demographic is expected to grow significantly over the next 12 months, with Advocare expanding services to the South West.
The funding will support an upgrade to Advocare's website, improving its accessibility and ease of use to ensure all seniors have access to information to make informed decisions about their lives.
Advocare will engage with older Western Australians in a co-design process to ensure the website's functionality, navigation, language and messaging meets their needs and goals. You can read more about Advocare's services online at advocare.org.au.
As stated by Seniors and Ageing Minister Don Punch:
"The Cook Government is committed to building communities that are inclusive and supportive of all Western Australians including seniors.
"In an increasingly online world, ensuring older Western Australians are able to access online advocacy information and services is a priority.
"Supporting age-friendly communities and inclusiveness in WA is at the heart of our Government's Seniors Strategy and Action Plan, which will be significant for guiding the way forward and enabling our seniors to live their best lives."
As stated by Advocare CEO Louise Johnstone Forster:
"The Advocare website is our primary online platform for engagement with older Western Australians.
"It is vital we work directly with older Western Australians to ensure we build a site that meets their needs and goals.
"I would like to thank Lotterywest for this grant, which will enable us to prioritise our website's accessibility. In turn, this will ensure we can better support our communityand make the services they need available to them in an increasingly online world."
