the voice - july 2011

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1 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW THE VOICE Celebrating 80 years of service OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW Print Post Approved PP235387100064 ISSN 10353615 July 2011 HANS Becker tells the story of an aged care ‘apartments for life’ complex he was building in the Hook of Holland, where he was restricted to thirteen floors. He told his builder to put up fourteen floors, saying that no one was going to count the number of floors. In another story, planning permission for a complex in Rotterdam had been a long time coming. So Becker invited the Lord- Mayor to drive the first pile into the ground. Once the pile was in, he told the Lord-Mayor about the absence of planning permission, expressing at the same time his belief that permission would be given very soon. And, so the story goes, the Lord-Mayor was of the same view and permission came through the next week. Becker runs the aged care division of Humanitas, a Dutch not-for-profit organisation on an ‘apartments for life’ basis. Becker has built thirty-odd high rise apartment complexes that are basically vertical villages for people who would otherwise be living in what Becker calls “imitation-hospitals”, that is, nursing homes. Becker’s apartment complexes feature cafés, shops and common areas for residents and the general community alike. The apartments can be bought (and sold on) or rented. Care, from domestic help to nursing services, is available through Humanitas or any other community care provider. About 95 per cent of residents live out their lives in their apartment for life without ever seeing the inside of a residential aged care facility. There are long waiting lists. The apartments for life are so successful that Becker, now in his seventies, has bought one himself and has been living in it for ten years. So what makes apartments for life so successful, but why isn’t everyone running them? Becker may have built thirty- odd complexes, but The Netherlands still warehouses the majority of its elderly in a few thousand “imitation hospitals.” Becker is revered in aged care circles around the world, but nobody seems to want to adopt his approach. Becker visited Sydney on 10 June to conduct an ‘Ageing Asia Leadership Workshop’. Experiencing the man in the flesh clarifies why, first, he has been as successful as he has been and continues to be, and, second, why no one is copying him. Becker is an eccentric and non-conformist who cuts through bureaucracy, vested interests and entrenched practices. That’s the secret of his success. He and loves a stunt and he loves to stir while doing it. He will apply that to anyone, whether it’s the Lord Mayor of Rotterdam or the nurses he employs, who he forbade to wear uniforms, telling them that anybody could tell by looking at their cranky faces they were nurses. Becker told dozens of anecdotes that made his audience laugh and shake their heads in amused and admiring disbelief. Becker is always talking about the “yes- culture” and the principle of happiness that guides the aged care Humanitas provides. That’s fair enough. Humanitas scores high when it comes to customer satisfaction as measured by the Dutch aged care regulator. Aged care should be about making the last years of someone’s life happy. Anyone can think of that. But it takes an eccentric non-conformist to pursue making residents happy as a priority over adequate clinical care and the financial health of the organisation. Becker’s argument is that the pursuit of happiness leads to reduced need for clinical care, reduced operating costs and … profit. He’s made €60 million profit, he says. All true. But few people are eccentric and non- conformist with the ability to cut through anything that blocks their progress and make money in the process. It’s too risky for most. That’s why no one is copying Hans Becker. There’s only one exception and it’s in Australia, where the Benevolent Society’s apartments for life project in Bondi is stuck in the NSW Land and Environment Court. It appears there are some height issues. AGED CARE BEHIND THE DYKES Riding a camel - just one of the many activities on offer at Hans Becker’s Apartments For Life in the Netherlands

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THE VOICE of Pensioners and Superannuants of NSW

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Page 1: THE VOICE - July 2011

1 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

THE

VOICECelebrating 80 years of service

OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSWPrint Post Approved PP235387100064 ISSN 10353615 July 2011

HANS Becker tells the story of an aged care ‘apartments for life’ complex he was building in the Hook of Holland, where he was restricted to thirteen floors. He told his builder to put up fourteen floors, saying that no one was going to count the number of floors.

In another story, planning permission for a complex in Rotterdam had been a long time coming. So Becker invited the Lord-Mayor to drive the first pile into the ground. Once the pile was in, he told the Lord-Mayor about the absence of planning permission, expressing at the same time his belief that permission would be given very soon. And, so the story goes, the Lord-Mayor was of the same view and permission came through the next week. Becker runs the aged care division of Humanitas, a Dutch not-for-profit organisation on an ‘apartments for life’ basis. Becker has built thirty-odd high rise apartment complexes that are basically vertical villages for people who would otherwise be living in what Becker calls “imitation-hospitals”, that is, nursing homes. Becker’s apartment complexes feature cafés, shops and common areas for residents and the general community alike. The apartments can be bought (and sold on) or rented. Care, from domestic help to nursing services, is available through

Humanitas or any other community care provider. About 95 per cent of residents live out their lives in their apartment for life without ever seeing the inside of a residential aged care facility. There are long waiting lists. The apartments for life are so successful that Becker, now in his seventies, has bought one himself and has been living in it for ten years. So what makes apartments for life so successful, but why isn’t everyone running them? Becker may have built thirty-odd complexes, but The Netherlands still warehouses the majority of its elderly in a few thousand “imitation hospitals.” Becker is revered in aged care circles around the world, but nobody seems to want to adopt his approach. Becker visited Sydney on 10 June to conduct an ‘Ageing Asia Leadership Workshop’. Experiencing the man in the flesh clarifies why, first, he has been as successful as he has been and continues to be, and, second, why no one is copying him. Becker is an eccentric and non-conformist who cuts through bureaucracy, vested interests and entrenched practices. That’s the secret of his success. He and loves a stunt and he loves to stir while doing it. He will apply that to anyone, whether it’s the Lord Mayor of Rotterdam

or the nurses he employs, who he forbade to wear uniforms, telling them that anybody could tell by looking at their cranky faces they were nurses. Becker told dozens of anecdotes that made his audience laugh and shake their heads in amused and admiring disbelief. Becker is always talking about the “yes-culture” and the principle of happiness that guides the aged care Humanitas provides. That’s fair enough. Humanitas scores high when it comes to customer satisfaction as measured by the Dutch aged care regulator. Aged care should be about making the last years of someone’s life happy. Anyone can think of that. But it takes an eccentric non-conformist to pursue making residents happy as a

priority over adequate clinical care and the financial health of the organisation. Becker’s argument is that the pursuit of happiness leads to reduced need for clinical care, reduced operating costs and … profit. He’s made €60 million profit, he says.

All true. But few people are eccentric and non-conformist with the ability to cut through anything that blocks their progress and make money in the process. It’s too risky for most. That’s why no one is copying Hans Becker.

There’s only one exception and it’s in Australia, where the Benevolent Society’s apartments for life project in Bondi is stuck in the NSW Land and Environment Court. It appears there are some height issues.

AGED CARE BEHIND THE DYKES

Riding a camel - just one of the many activities on offer at Hans Becker’s Apartments For Life in the Netherlands

Page 2: THE VOICE - July 2011

2 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

CPSA Executive(as at 2.11.2010)

Grace Selway OAM PresidentBob JaySecretaryBetty ChamberlainTreasurerBill HollandSenior Vice PresidentAssistant TreasurerSue LatimerVice PresidentMargaret Craven-ScottAssistant SecretaryEdna KayPublications EditorBarbara WrightAssistant Publications EditorShirley BainsMarie Mihell George RayColin Vernon

THE VOICEOF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

Editor: Edna KayAssistant Editor: Barbara WrightPhone: (02) 9281 3588Fax: (02) 9281 9716Email: [email protected]: Charmaine Crowe, Antoine Mangion & Paul VersteegePrinter: MPD, Unit E1, 46-62 Maddox Street, Alexandria NSW 2015All content prepared by the editorial and production team with reference to stories on AAP newswire, unless indicated.THE VOICECPSA, Level 9, 28 Foveaux StSurry Hills NSW 2010

Disclaimer

No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in advertisements or text supplied by other organisations or individuals and/or typographical errors.

CPSA does not support or promote the products or views in paid advertising.

LettersCostly physio has bigger costs for everyonePHYSIOTHERAPY in Port Macquarie Hospital is very difficult to access due to a lack of funding from both State and Federal Governments. It is forcing older people and people with disability to seek private treatment with their limited pensions.

Physiotherapy, as well as acupuncture, is the most successful of all non-drug treatments that can help patients back into mobility, as well as help elderly couples stay together in their own homes which is most desirable in every family.

This situation where couples are separated because one enters a nursing home could be averted if these treatments were available through Medicare and should be pursued by all politicians to be put on their agenda for the sake of their constituents. It is in need of all elected political

representatives’ attention to make it happen as the cost of treatment is an extra burden that is unsustainable on a pension due to the high costs of inflation on every service.

This section of the population were the ones who contributed their efforts to this country and production in the work force that created the standard of living that all enjoy who come to Australia to live as we see today.

Eric Di LosaPort Macquarie, NSW

GST continues to bite I WOULD like to see a campaign to remove the GST on utilities for pensioners as this would be a big boost to pensioners’ incomes. The discounts and rebates given to pensioners are negated by the GST. One example is my energy bills, where GST equalled nearly three quarters of the Energy Rebate provided.

Another example is my Telstra phone bill where my pensioner discount of $11 a quarter was eaten up by $9 in GST on the same bill. These are just a few examples of the impact of GST on utilities and why it should be removed.

Bruce RoseWindang, NSW

Utility access charges a real cause of painTHERE has been a lot of talk about high electricity costs. I recently had a gas bill for my new unit and I was shocked by how much I had been charged. In my last unit, which was slightly bigger and all electric power, my quarterly bill was $60 with the pensioner discount. I rang the same company, EnergyAustralia, to query the gas bill. The young man I spoke to told me that the gas bill was made up of a 52 cents a day

Donations, Bequests, Membership and THE VOICE subscriptions

Membership is open to all who support the aims and objectives of CPSA

I’d like to renew my Membership or join CPSA as a Member and enclose my individual Membership fee of $12 (Includes a free annual subscription to THE VOICE, valued at $25.00). I agree to be bound by the CPSA Constitution and uphold the Objectives and Policies of CPSA. I support the CPSA Objectives. I have not previously been expelled from CPSA or, if I have been expelled, I have attached a copy of my CPSA Executive exemption. Please send me information about my nearest Branch. I do not wish to join CPSA but would like to subscribe to THE VOICE (1 year—$25.00 incl. GST). I belong to an organisation and would like information about how we can become a Branch or an Affiliate of CPSA. (NB: Branches are covered by CPSA’s $10 million Public Liability Insurance). I wish to make a donation of $______ (All donations above $2 are tax deductible). Please send me information about THE VOICE gift subscriptions. I wish to make a bequest to CPSA in my Will. Please send me information.Name:_____________________________________________________________________________Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________State:_____________Postcode:__________Phone: ______________________________Email:_________________________________________Payment details (for credit card): Visa Mastercard Name on card:__________________________Card Number:___________________Expiry:_________Amount:______________________ Signature:_____________________________________________

Please send to: CPSA, Level 9, 28 Foveaux St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Letters are personal views only and do not necessarily reflect CPSA policy. Ed.

Page 3: THE VOICE - July 2011

July 2011 THE VOICE ONLINE: www.cpsa.org.au 3

availability charge, equalling $48.54 for the quarter. My usage was $16.75 and GST $6.82. A total gas bill of $71.82. There is no pensioner discount as the discount is only on the electricity bill. My quarterly electricity bill of $41.91 was added to make the final total of $113.73. I feel there is nothing I can do as I live in a complex of 24 units so I cannot just change providers. It seems a lot of money for a warm shower. I was wondering if you know about the gas and their availability charge as well as the lack of pensioner rebate. This is the first time I have had a gas bill and so I do not know if this is the normal practice.

Evelyn FrostSwansea, NSW

The Energy Rebate is paid only to electricity bills because, while everyone has an electricity account, not everyone has a gas account. However, many people with both electricity and gas accounts pay more because of the costly service charges than if they only had an electricity account. That is why CPSA is calling on the NSW Government to reform the Energy Rebate so that it covers 100% of all service charges and a percentage of usage charges. Ed.

Lack of public transport leaves communities isolatedI RECENTLY read an article in THE VOICE about public transport in rural areas. My problem is that Armidale, Tamworth and surrounding communities are virtually isolated by public transport from Coffs Harbour.

This is the second time this has happened in two

years. Last year, a company called Bybus offered a round trip to Kempsey, but the cost was almost three times the price of the original company’s return fare to Port Macquarie and therefore didn’t attract enough customers. Inevitably, the service failed and now there is nothing.

Here I summarise and offer reasons for resumption of the service:1 In order to spend a weekend

in Coffs Harbour/Port Macquarie the round trip would now take 4 days of travel including two overnight stops in Maitland at huge expense.

2 The curtailment of this service impacts on the old, disabled, disadvantaged and indigenous.

3 A horrendous road toll along the Pacific Highway in 2010, with a spike at the time of the termination of the original bus service.

4 There is much talk of decentralising, easing the congestion in Sydney and tree changes, but nobody will travel to these towns to live when they are, in effect, isolated.

5 There has been a concerted effort to get older drivers off the roads. Without public transport their quality of life is greatly impaired.

6 Cars are the second biggest emitters of pollution; one small bus could replace about 16 cars.

My suggestion is to return the subsidy to concession card holders on a (return) service to Coffs Harbour which would link up with trains and coaches. Bybus did offer this. However at a cost of $90 it was just too expensive. Any help you could give would be much appreciated.

Pam Summers Armidale, NSW

CPSA will raise this issue with the new Minister for Transport and the Transport Policy Advisory Group of which it is a Member. Ed.

Poor access to dental care has costly repercussionsI WRITE as a new Member of CPSA in response to your article in the May 2011 issue of THE VOICE about dental health for pensioners and low-income earners. I want to share with all Members that I have been lobbying for over 13 years for a dental clinic for pensioners and the financially disadvantaged in our local public hospital. We have no dental clinic in our public hospitals of Macksville and Bellingen. These service a large area and people have to travel a journey of approximately 45 minutes each way to the Coffs Harbour Base Hospital dental clinic which, incidentally, only offers pain relief after being on an extensive waiting list. Medicare rebate for pensioners? What’s the point when private dentists that bulkbill pensioners can’t be found because, I was told, of the paperwork. Most pensioners do not have the finances to pay up front. I had a heart attack and have four stents in my heart, thanks to which I need 10-13 pills a day to survive. It is said that bad oral health contributes to heart disease (apart from other obvious factors). That’s why it is so important that this issue is addressed for all our sakes.

Edwina du CasséNambucca Heads, NSW

Difficult subject must be raisedTHE SUBJECT I am raising may cause discomfort to some VOICE readers but it is important that it be addressed.

Modern technology is keeping us alive much longer than was possible in previous generations. There are not a lot of medical answers for the resulting pain and suffering that some disease processes inflict upon us before we die.

There are some movements around trying to get political change on these issues with increased compassion for those whose lives are a misery.

One of these is Dying with Dignity (fromerly Voluntary Euthanasia Society) which has many eminent people putting their names up in their support.

A subscription to Dying with Dignity for pensioners is $22 a year, but I think it should be reduced to a realistic $10.

The other group is Christians Supporting Choice for Voluntary Euthanasia. They charge nothing to become a member but your name will be added to letters to politicians when lobbying for change.

Anyone who has had a family member or friend die slowly from cancer, heart disease or other terminal conditions will be aware of the unnecessary suffering they endure.

We put down animals when their life is misery but make human beings suffer needlessly.

Barbara WrightBusby, NSW

Letters

By mail to: or by email to: THE VOICE, CPSA [email protected] 9, 28 Foveaux StSurry Hills NSW 2010

You must include your name and suburb/town for the letter to be published. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Send a letter to THE VOICE

Page 4: THE VOICE - July 2011

4 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

Members’ page

Crossword by Hilda Thorburn

THE e-VOICE is available on the internet. Visit our website, www.cpsa.org.au and

sign up through the link THE VOICE - Subscribe

Donations

CPSA is grateful for all donations. Due to lack of space, the following only includes donations above $35.National MUA Veterans Association Southern Branch $120.00Retired Port Workers, Sydney (Retired MUA Sydney, Maritime MUA) $400.00R. Spearer $338.80

Across 1. Unrestrictedly 8. Midday meal 9. Storage place for cars10. 9-hole golf-links (4-6)11. Adjoin12. Headgear14. Method of singing high notes17. Needed by smokers20. Untidy (of bed e.g.)23. Dressing gown24. Hot, severe25. Long tunic26. Inflammation of nerves27. Decoder of Egyptian picture writing

Answers on back page

Down

1. Not useful 2. Articulation 3. Rare or remarkable events 4. Amateur (3-12) 5. Large bird of prey 6. ... houses, semi-detached buildings 7. Dairy product13. Fire residue15. Deafening knock (4,5)16. ...-break, pause in work18. Abdomen19. Cinema21. Cocktail22. Tooth doctor24. Musical string instrument

CPSA MerchandiseBadgesMembership (pin) $4.50Membership (magnet) $5.00Title Bar* + pendant $9.00Title Bar $5.00Pendant $4.00(*except Welfare Officer $10.15Asst Soc. Sec.) $16.15Other MerchandiseMembership card $0.10Waratah card $1.00Card wallet $3.30Certificate (80/90 years/Appreciation) $1.10Emergency medical information book $2.00Leather key ring $5.50Letter opener: silver or gold $10.00Tea caddy spoon $4.40‘Do Not Knock’ sticker $1.00

~ Garden of Remembrance ~

Guildford CPSA is sad to report the passing of Bob Johnston, Member for 25-30 years, Life Member, Committee Member and a good worker for the club. He will be sadly missed by all at Guildford CPSA.

~ Rest In Peace ~

New CPSA Branch welcoming Members

A new Branch of CPSA has opened. The Foveaux Street Branch meets to discuss CPSA policy and campaigns at 10.15am on the second Friday of the month at CPSA Head Office (Level 9, 28 Foveaux St, Surry Hills).

If you are interested in participating, please call CPSA on 1800 451 488.

Head Office News

Head Office News is sent to all Branch Secretaries, Presidents and Treasurers with the instruction to read it aloud to the Branch meeting. Every Branch Member is entitled to receive a copy. If you would like a copy and do not currently receive one, please call Head Office on 1800 451 488 and we will add your name to the distribution list.

CPSA Honour Board

The CPSA Honour Board, generously donated by the Penrith Seniors & Pensioners’ Club, is proudly displayed in Head Office’s reception area. The Honour Board acknowledges bequests made by CPSA Members.

If you are thinking of making or updating your Will and would like information about making a bequest to CPSA so your name can be added to the Board, please contact Head Office on 1800 451 488. Whatever the size of the bequest, it all helps fund CPSA’s campaigns.

Condition of CPSA Membership

According to the NSW Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (Schedule 1, clause 11(1)(a) and Appendix 1 based on Clause 3(1)), it is a condition of your ongoing CPSA Membership that you agree to comply with CPSA’s Constitution including Aims & Objectives.

If you have any questions or would like a copy of the Constitution, please call Head Office on 1800 451 488.

Page 5: THE VOICE - July 2011

July 2011 THE VOICE ONLINE: www.cpsa.org.au 5

Nursing home watchdog doesn’t want to regulate nursing homes

IN the somewhat surprising submission to the Productivity Commission’s aged care inquiry, the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency, also known as the nursing home watchdog, claims that it is not responsible for regulation of nursing homes, just accreditation. Just so that everyone is clear about their role, the Agency is going to cease providing the Department of Health and Ageing (the Department) advice about whether a home should be sanctioned when there is an alarming risk to the health and wellbeing of the residents in the facility. In future, if the Agency goes into a nursing home to do an accreditation check and finds that the home fails a bunch of standards and presents a serious risk to the safety of the residents, the Agency won’t recommend to the Department that sanctions be applied. As far as the Agency is concerned, that’s not their

role because such advice would constitute regulation. CPSA can only deduce that this will result in a very wishy-washy system of checks and balances for aged care. Unless the Department receives a complaint from elsewhere about the home’s standards, or someone in the Department has an epiphany, there’s no way that the Department would know that they need to sanction a home. Part of the Agency’s role is to liaise with the Department about facilities that do not comply with the minimum standards. Apparently that doesn’t mean telling the Department that they really should consider sanctioning a home because quality of care is non-existent. This is just another step to making the life of nursing home proprietors a little easier and reinforces the perception that the Agency is not a watchdog at all, just a warm, friendly, education body to promote ‘continuous improvement’. After all, what more is needed in this “world-class aged care system” of ours?

NSW Coroner calls for blanket analysis of deaths and injuries in nursing homes

A NSW Coroner has called for in-depth analyses of all deaths and hospitalisations of nursing home residents following any traumatic event in the home. Magistrate Carmel Forbes made the call in response to her findings on 20 May 2011 of the death of Iris Conyngham, who died on 15 October 2009 after suffering a fall in Bennelong House, at the Shalom Centre, Sydney, operated and owned by Baptist Community Services. Mrs Conyngham was only in the nursing home for about an hour before being taken to hospital following the fall. She died the next day. The Coroner found that the registered nurse on duty at the time should have her professionalism reviewed because of her inconsistent evidence. The Coroner was not convinced that the Registered Nurse provided proper care for Mrs Conyngham. Further, the Coroner could not find any evidence that Baptist Community Services had investigated the matter, nor had it been logged in the accident report manual (therefore the Accreditation Agency would never have known about the fatal fall). Baptist Community Services could not show that any steps had been taken to ensure such an incident doesn’t happen again. The facility had achieved 44 out of 44 accreditation standards in only 8 months prior to Mrs Conyngham’s death. When Mrs Conyngham died, there was a Registered Nurse on staff

(whose professionalism was called into question), a TAFE student nurse, and two other care staff. This team would have been responsible for approximately 120 residents (according to resident figures in the February 2009 accreditation report), most of whom were in need of high-level nursing home care. That’s a ratio of 30 to one. That’s not even sufficient for a classroom let alone an institution full of people with high care needs.

Cheques possibly on the way out

DO you use cheques? If so, you should read on because they may be phased out. The Australian Payments Clearing Association (APCA) is currently seeking views on the future of cheques in Australia. Cheques are expensive to process (compared with other payment methods), and a hassle for the banks. Apparently 75 per cent of Australians never use cheques, and the use of cheques is in decline. After all, everyone pays online now, don’t they? Well, no. Stats show that 48 per cent of people who do use cheques are aged 60 or over. And five per cent of Australians feel that they could not manage without them. It comes as no surprise that those is this group tend to be older, on a low income, and live in a regional or remote area. It’s likely that people in this group doesn’t have a credit card, use electronic banking, let alone access to the internet. They can’t afford it.

CPSA Campaigns

Continued page 8

Page 6: THE VOICE - July 2011

6 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

CPSA Member Benefit

Page 7: THE VOICE - July 2011

July 2011 THE VOICE ONLINE: www.cpsa.org.au 7

CPSA Conference 2011CPSA Conference and Annual General Meeting

CPSA Conference (including the Annual General Meeting) is coming up again! It will be held at the Salvation Army, 140 Elizabeth St, Sydney on 25 & 26 October 2011. The deadline for agenda items is Friday 26 August 2011.

Every Member is invited (and encouraged) to attend Conference as an Observer. (A Delegate is able to speak and vote on motions. An Observer is not able to speak or vote on motions.) You will be able to hear our guest speakers, listen to policy discussion and be present for our AGM. You will be able to meet with other Members from all over NSW. Meals and refreshments are included and transport by CountryLink rail and bus services is free for all non-Sydney Conference attendees. (In addition, Delegates’ accommodation can be reimbursed up to $110 per person per night.) Registration forms will be circulated to all Branches, Area Councils and Affiliates. If you would like to register as an Observer, please contact CPSA Head Office on 1800 451 488. The deadline for registration is Monday 5 September 2011.

Many Branches are starting to think about who their Conference Delegates will be this year. Conference Delegates must be chosen by the Branch to represent the Branch. Most Branches do this by a simple ballot at a Branch meeting. Everyone who is interested in going to Conference should nominate. Don’t let your Branch Executive or Committee decide this for you!

The number of Delegates a Branch can send depends on the number of Branch Members:1 - 75 Members = 2 Delegates76 - 125 Members = 3 Delegates126 - 175 Members = 4 Delegates176 - 225 Members = 5 Delegates etc.

Are you interested in coming to Conference but don’t belong to a Branch, or haven’t been elected as a Delegate for your Branch? Why not consider representing another Branch instead? Lots of our Branches find the distance too great or Members’ health not up to the travel. Many of them would be delighted to have someone represent them. If you’re interested in representing another Branch, call Head Office for more information. There is no cost to your home Branch and costs to your other Branch are kept to a minimum.

In accordance with CPSA Constitution Rule 8.3.2 this announcement serves as the required notice in THE VOICE calling for nominations of candidates for election to CPSA Executive.

Nominations must be:• submitted on the official form• signed by proposer, seconder and nominee• accompanied by a Curriculum Vitae• received before the deadline (outlined on the form)

by the CPSA Returning Officer at 9 Gillis St, Dubbo NSW 2830

Nomination forms have been circulated to all Branches and Area Councils. If you would like a copy of the nomination form, please contact Head Office on 1800 451 488.

CPSA’s ‘Do Not Knock’ Stickers

Are you sick and tired of door-to-door salespeople and marketers? Do you know someone who has been misled by salespeople at their door? CPSA has the solution for you.

CPSA has produced a ‘Do Not Knock’ sticker that can be placed neatly on your door so that salespeople will quickly and quietly get the message. If the salesperson still knocks you should report them to the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON), the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman or Fair Trading depending on the business they represent.

See the CPSA Merchandise section on the Members’ Page, (page 4).

DO NOT KNOCK

NO SALESPEOPLENO MARKETERS

Thank you

1800 451 488Join Number Woman for Fair Calls For All

Everyone needs to call 1800, 1300 or 13 numbers at some point. Making that call from a landline or mobile makes a big difference to the call cost but it doesn’t have to be that way. Join Number Woman and campaign to get mobile calls for 1800, 1300 and 13 numbers charged at the same rates as calls from landlines.

To get involved in the campaign call the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network on 02 9288 4000 or visit accan.org.au/NumberWoman. CPSA is an official supporter of the Fair Calls For All campaign.

Page 8: THE VOICE - July 2011

8 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

They would be the worst affected if cheques were to be phased out. The APCA says that a way around this dependence on cheques is education. The thing is, APCA is a company owned by banks, credit unions, and building societies. In other words, the very institutions that want to see cheques disappear. Many older people don’t use electronic banking or ATMs because they don’t trust the system. They don’t feel that their money’s safe. Indeed, recent ‘glitches’ with some of the major banks’ electronic payment systems would do nothing to assure this group that they can trust electronic banking. Cheques are trusted, don’t incur costs like money orders or credit cards, and are widely used by older people on low incomes. For these reasons, unless there was a similar form of payment put in place, cheques should not be phased out just because they’re a hassle for the big banks. If you want to make a submission to the inquiry, send it to: Mr Arun Kendall Industry Policy Australian Payments Clearing Association Level 6, 14 Martin PlaceSydney, NSW, 2000.

Submissions are due 29 July 2011. Green schemes not the real driver behind soaring electricity prices

ELECTRICITY prices are soaring, hitting pensioners and others on low incomes the hardest. Electricity prices in NSW have risen by 43per cent in the past three years.

Householders are bearing the brunt, and blame is being aimed at so called ‘green power’ schemes. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) noted that state and federal programs designed to increase renewable energy use arepushing up prices because most of the costs are passed onto the consumer. This is true, but the main culprit for soaring prices is the investment in poles and wires to distribute power, increasing bills by nine per cent alone as of the 1 July. That’s over half the total increase which is an average 17.3 per cent across NSW, depending on the retailer. Green schemes account for just over one third of the price rise. Here is the breakdown of the cost per megawatt of electricity for Energy Australia when prices rise 1 July this year:

Energy Australia price components 2011/12 $/MWhElectricity purchase cost $67.40

Green scheme cost $9.80

Energy losses $5.10Retail operating & cost allowance

$14.20

Network costs (poles & wires) $112.60

Total $209.00

Average households consume between 4 and 7 megawatts of electricity per year, depending on their size and composition. As you can see, the cost of green schemes is minor compared with other components. However, there is a substantial flaw in most houeshold green schemes, being that most require

upfront investment by the consumer, which of course removes most pensioners from the picture, especially those with no other income source. For example, consumers in NSW can get a $300 rebate for installing a 5 star gas hot water system. But these systems retail for anything between $1,000 and $2,000. Most pensioners cannot afford that sort of outlay, even with government rebates. There are No Interest Loans Schemes designed to help people on low incomes transition to energy efficiency measures, providing loans of up to $1,200, which are then to be paid back over 12 to 18 months (contact details in the directory on page 11). But this scheme cannot help out with more expensive items, such as solar panels or the purchasing of a number of expensive appliances at once.

Energy retailers win under Solar Bonus Scheme

THINK that consumers are the big winners under the NSW Government’s Solar Bonus Scheme? Well, yes, those who are lucky enough to participate in the scheme, as they’re reducing their energy bills and getting paid to do so at the same time. But retailers are sitting pretty because they’re getting power supplied to them for nix. They then sell that power to consumers, at the top rate. This is because they receive the gross amount of power from homes generating electricity from solar or wind. But they only have to pay the distributor for net electricity used by these

householders. The difference is then in effect given to them for nothing. IPART reckon this is a little unfair and no wonder, given the amount of kvetching that’s been dished out in the past to IPART by retailers who often disagree with IPART’s assessment of what they need to run a decent business. IPART recommend that these cost savings be passed on to consumers to reduce the cost of the Solar Bonus Scheme, which is mostly being redeemed through higher bills. CPSA thinks that this is a good idea. Although the Solar Bonus Scheme is not adding a huge amount to bills (on average, between $10 and $20 per annum), IPART’s recommendation should be adopted out of principle. The expensive business of private health

THE Australian Government is again trying to means-test the Private Health Insurance rebate, which gives a discount of 30 to 40 per cent of private health insurance premiums. The rebate costs the Australian Government about $5 billion per annum. The means-testing would apply to individuals earning more than $80,000 and families earning more than $160,000, and be expected to save $2 billion over four years. This is the third time that the Government has tried to means-test the rebate, a very unpopular move, especially among rural and regional MPs concerned about the impact on people in their electorates. Means-testing has been unpopular because of

CPSA CampaignsFrom page 5

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a fear that people will leave private health insurance in droves if they no longer receive a 30 or 40 per cent rebate on the premiums. This will then drive up the price of premiums for all policy holders. However, John Menadue from the Centre for Policy Development thinks that this concern is ill-placed. Speaking at a Rural Health Alliance conference – and apologies for the length of this quote – Mr Menadue said: “A particular issue which should concern country people is the inequity and inefficiency of the $5 billion per annum government subsidy to high cost private health insurance companies. Put simply, this corporate welfare enables relatively wealthy people in the cities to jump the queue for elective surgery in private hospitals and it deprives public hospitals of resources. “Country people are being dudded by the $5 billion per annum subsidy. …Because there are so few country private hospitals, the $5 billion per annum subsidy inevitably operates to the disadvantage of country people. The transfer of this $5 billion subsidy to rural

health, mental health and indigenous health would have dramatic benefits. That would be $50 billion over ten years. The new hospital package that Julia Gillard announced last month is only $16 billion over ten years”. He has a point. To give another comparison as to where that money could go, including dental care into Medicare is expected to cost about $2 to $3 billion per year. Perhaps it’s worth looking at the cost of private healthcare in the U.S. where there is no universal healthcare provision, and private health insurance is the dominant funder. In 2006, the U.S. spent $2.1 trillion on health care, which translated to 16 per cent of gross domestic product. This figure excludes the 47 million people who, at that time, had no health insurance. In Australia, health care expenditure sits at about 8 to 9 per cent of GDP, which is pretty much on par with other comparable countries. So why is expenditure in the U.S. so high, given that the market plays a far greater role in health care, which should presumably lower

costs? The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a research institute specialising in health care policy, suggests that the price of health care technology, inefficiency and the cost of administering insurance have added considerably to the cost of health care in the U.S. (High and rising health care costs: Demystifying U.S. health care spending). They point to the higher cost for pharmaceuticals (70 per cent higher than in other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries). Specialists and GPs are also more expensive. The big bonus for universal health care systems is that because the Government is the dominant funder, these systems are best placed to reduce administration costs and exercise cost control. The fact that private health insurers have to advertise and market their product, process claims, underwrite, and also generate a profit, adds to the overall cost of healthcare provision. All in all, it makes sense to target Australia’s resources into our public health system rather than propping up the private health system.

Cracking down on disability support applicants

AS part of the federal budget, the Australian Government plans to deliver tougher measures for people trying to get the Disability Support Pension, as of September this year. Not only will people have to prove they have a disability, they will have to ‘test’ their ability to work/not

work before being granted the payment. The proposed legislation is very unclear. The requirement will be that applicants for the Disability Support Pension participate in training or work-related activity. Confusingly, people could be denied the Disability Support Pension for up to 18 months. There is nothing in the proposed legislation that spells out why this would occur. Is this the case if people refuse to undertake training or a work-related activity? And could people be deemed able to work from having carried out work-like activities, and then denied access to the Disability Support Pension? In many cases, it’s far easier to participate in training than it is to become employed. Applicants can apply for the Newstart Allowance in the meantime, which is currently $237 per week. This is like telling someone with a broken leg to walk on it for a few days to ‘test’ their ability to cope without treatment and in the meantime, they’re given Panadol. This measure is meant to save the Government almost $50 million. As a proportion of the general population, the number of Disability Support Pensioners is actually declining, opposed to recent commentary suggesting that spending on this pension is ‘out of control’. It’s just not the case. It’s very easy to paint a picture of someone faking their bad back to get access to $365 per week. But many people in receipt of the Disability

CPSA Campaigns

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10 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

Support Pension want to work. Unfortunately they face a huge amount of discrimination when it comes to getting a job, not to mention other barriers such as inaccessible workplaces and rosters that don’t accommodate flexibility. The evidence is in the numbers – 90 per cent of people on the Disability Support Pension don’t work, and only about 39 per cent of working-age people with a disability are in paid employment nation-wide. But more importantly, it’s unclear what this budget measure aims to achieve, other than cutting costs. To train people before they access the pension? Or discourage people from accessing the pension? If people have a disability that prevents them from working, they should be granted access to the pension.

The Hunter’s pioneer conservationistWilfred Dews OAM 1909-2011by Rohen Conners (grandson)

Wilfred Dews was a man ahead of his time, especially where our natural environment was concerned. He planted the seed of modern environmentalism in Australia’s first industrial region at a time when few valued Australia’s natural heritage.

Wilfred Clyde Dews (‘Wilf’) was born the fifth of ten children to Harry and Rosina Dews in their bush timber and clay floor hut in Teralba - one of Lake Macquarie’s first coal mining communities. His father was a Yorkshire immigrant miner in nearby Stockton Borehole Colliery. Leaving school at 14 to help his parents support their large family, Wilf followed his father and elder brothers into employment brothers in the Colliery. This remained his only workplace until compulsory retirement 46 years later. Regrettably the price he paid for this toxic cocktail of coal dust, underground air and constant darkness was his sight. In what turned out to be a life-changing experience, a medical examination following the completion of Wilf’s Mining Deputy qualifications revealed failing eyesight. Forced to work on the pit top and denied the opportunity of promotion, Wilfred and Mavis intensified their market garden activities to supplement their income after the birth of their only surviving child Margaret. The purchase of the Colliery by BHP in 1949 resulted in its modernisation. Sensing an opportunity, Wilf convinced the new management their modernisation should also mean beautification with him at the helm. Now the Colliery’s gardener Wilf set off to Technical College to acquire his horticulture certificates. However, as Australia’s first dedicated colliery gardener, there was no appropriate award. So Wilfred next set off to the Industrial Commission in Sydney where he successfully

fought his case for a pay rate that reflecting his work and training. The ‘Wilfred Dews Award’ remains to this day the industrial award for qualified colliery gardeners and remains to this day. Wilf’s community activism changed as he aged – more so after Mavis, his life’s partner and supporter of his many ideas, passed away in 1982. Wilfred was elected President of the Warners Bay Pensioners for nine consecutive years from the late 1980s. Active on a broader stage through the Hunter Region Combined Pensioners Association and drawing upon his conservation movement skills he became a committed lobbyist for the rights of senior citizens, work for which was recognised with the Premier’s Award for Senior Citizens in 1993. As President of the Warners Bay Pensioners he designed, organised and helped maintain the Warners Bay Community Centre native garden as a Bicentennial gift to Warners Bay and Lake Macquarie. Beyond presiding over meetings regularly attended by over sixty members, he organised guest speakers as well as led educational bus and train trips throughout NSW. After ‘retiring’ at the age of 91 to self-care living in Greenmount Gardens, Mount Hutton, Wilf later chose to spend his final years close to his daughter in the NSW Central Tablelands. Wilf passed away peacefully in Lithgow’s Three Tree Lodge. His parting wish was that people remember him by planting a tree. Holding deeply progressive views for his time, Wilf believed we must learn more about caring for

our country from indigenous Australians; education is the key to personal and national success; women can do anything; spirituality is manifested everywhere in our environment; and, we must leave the world a better place. Above all, Wilfred was a deeply moral person. Non-religious, he believed that what gives life meaning is living outside oneself, be it helping other people, fauna or flora. Wilfred was putting this belief into practice even in his 90s, as one of his last public initiatives illustrates. Upon arrival in Greenmount Gardens Retirement Village Wilfred felt concern for the lonely and less able residents he soon met. So he organised ‘art’ classes to help these residents socialise with each other and give them a sense of personal achievement and purpose to their lives. Wilf never forgot the Combined Pensioners (later ‘CPSA’). Believing that age is no barrier and always declaring “life begins at 60” Wilf enjoyed the friendship, personal support and political enfranchisement he got from Combined Pensioners activities and campaigns. In fact, the first 30 years after retirement were, for Wilf, his most active in public life leaving many younger people in his wake. It was only fellow pensioners that seemed to be able to keep up with him physically and intellectually – a fact that didn’t escape Wilf when he was planning who would be best to involve in a campaign! As his ability to read and write in his last years failed him, Wilf insisted that of all the publications he had been receiving, two should remain to be read to him. One was Australian Wildlife and the other was THE VOICE.

Vale Wilfred Dews OAM

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July 2011 THE VOICE ONLINE: www.cpsa.org.au 11

INCOME SECURITY

CentrelinkAge Pension 13 23 00

DSP/Carer benefits 13 27 17Family Assistance 13 61 50

Welfare Rights CentreInfo on Government pensions

and other benefits9211 5300

1800 226 028

National Information Centre on Retirement InvestmentsAnything for the small investor and people wondering about

super or how to invest1800 020 110

Financial Ombudsman Services

Complaints about banking, insurance, super, financial

planning 1300 780 808

Industry Fund FinancialPlanning

1300 138 848

Australian Taxation OfficeSuper/Lost super 13 10 20

Personal tax 13 28 61

British Pensions inAustralia

Assistance in claiming the British Pension(02) 9521 79641300 308 353

No Interest Loans Scheme1800 509 994

RIGHTS

Australian Human Rights Commission

Complaints about discrimination and

harassment 1300 369 711

Commonwealth Ombudsman

Complaints about Federal Government departments and

agencies 1300 362 072

NSW Ombudsman’s Office Complaints about NSW Government agencies

1800 451 524

NSW Trustee and Guardian1300 360 466

Guardianship TribunalFinancial management orders

for people with decision-making disabilities

1800 463 928

Seniors Information Service13 12 44

Consumer Trader & Tenancy Tribunal

Tenancy, trader and consumer disputes13 32 20

Energy & Water Ombudsman (EWON)

Complaints about all NSW electricity/gas retailers and Sydney and Hunter Water

1800 246 545

TelecommunicationsIndustry Ombudsman

Phone and internet complaints 1800 062 058

GOODS AND SERVICE

Telstra Pensioner DiscountFor basic plans only

1800 353 652

NSW Seniors CardDiscounts on goods and services 1300 364 758

NSW Companion CardFree event admission for

companions of eligible people with a disability 1800 893 044

HEALTH AND CARE

Commonwealth CareLinkInfo about aged and

community care 1800 052 222

Office of Hearing ServicesSubsidised hearing aids

1800 500 726

Dementia Helpline1800 100 500

Single-gender Ward Hotline For patients who wish

to be placed in a single-gender ward after 24hrs

hospitalisation1800 700 830

VisionCare NSWSubsidised spectacles

(02) 9344 41221800 806 851

Home Care Service NSWDomestic assistance, respite

and personal care 1800 044 043

Rape Crisis Centre24hours/7days 1800 424 017

Health Care Complaints Commission

NSW only 9219 74441800 043 159

Carers NSWInformation, support

1800 242 636Emergency respite

1800 059 059

Aged care information lineResidential and community

aged care information1800 500 853

Aged Care Complaints Scheme

Complaints about residential and community aged care

1800 550 552

LifelineMental health support,

suicide prevention 13 11 14

Beyond BlueDepression and anxiety

information 1300 224 636

Public Dental Health Services

Call NSW Health for details9391 9000

1800 639 398

Medicare Enhanced Primary Care Dental Scheme

Call Medicare for details132 011

People with DisabilitiesAdvice for people with a

disability9370 3100

1800 422 016

Exit AustraliaInformation about euthanasia

1300 103 948

Dying with Dignity NSW02 9212 4782

Australian Men’s Shed

Association 1300 550 009

HOUSING

CPSA’s Older Persons Tenants’ Service (OPTS)

Individual advocacy9566 1120

1800 131310

CPSA’s Park and Village Service (PAVS)

Individual advocacy for caravan parks and

manufactured homes villages9566 1010

1800 177 688

NSW Department of Housing

Info and applications1300 468 746

Tenants Advice LineMondays 3-6pm1800 251 101

LEGAL

The Aged-care Rights Service including Older Persons’ Legal ServiceAged care and retirement

village advocacy and information and legal advice

for older people.9281 3600

1800 424 079

Law AccessReferrals for legal help

1300 888 529

The Law SocietySolicitor and legal firm

referrals9926 0300

1800 422 713

Community Justice Centres Dispute resolution services for minor matters 9228 7455

Domestic Violence Advocacy Service

1800 200 526

Family Relationship Centres Relationship and separation information 1800 050 321

Office of the Legal Services Commissioner

Complaints about lawyers and conveyancers 1800 242 958

CPSA Information Directory

Page 12: THE VOICE - July 2011

12 July 2011 THE VOICE OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

Giggle Page

Crossword SolutionsCrossword on page 5

Follow the TracksThree men were stranded in the middle of the Canadian forest and they didn’t know where they were. They decided that they had to find some food, so the first man leaves and tells the other two that he’ll to get some food for all of them.

Several hours later, he returned with a deer over his shoulder. The other two were amazed and asked him how he got a deer with no weapons. He replied, “I find tracks, I follow tracks, I get deer”. The other two were slightly confused but let it go.

One week later, the deer now eaten, the three men again needed more food. The second man left, saying that he would get food. He came back a couple of hours later with an elk over his shoulder. The other two ask how he got the elk and he replied simply, “I find tracks, I follow tracks, I get Elk”.

Five days later, having eaten the elk, the men were again hungry. The third man, feeling very cocky, thought to himself, “This is going to be a piece of cake. The other guys got the other animals so easy. I’m going to get an animal better than theirs put together!” So he left to get some food. The others waited a couple hours but he didn’t come back. They waited longer, but he was still missing.

Finally, after nine hours of waiting, they saw him coming back. His clothes were torn to rags, he was covered in dirt with scrapes and bruises all over his body. He was bleeding from different gashes in his arms and legs. They asked, “What happened?” He looked at them, wide-eyed and confused, and replied, “I find tracks, I follow tracks, I get hit by train”.

LimericksAs a beauty I’m not a great star,There are others more handsome by far, But my face, I don’t mind it, Because I’m behind it – ‘Tis the folks in the front that I jar.

Said a man to his spouse in East Sydenham,“My best trousers! Now where have you hydenham? It is perfectly true They were not very newBut I foolishly left half a quidenham.”

Limerick Last LinerFinish the following Limerick by writing the last line and send it in to THE VOICE, CPSA, Level 9, 28 Foveaux St, Surry Hills, 2010 or [email protected]. We will publish a list of the best ones in the August VOICE.

There was a young lady of Ryde,Whose locks were consid’rably dyed. The hue of her hair Made everyone stare -...

Phone BillThe phone bill was exceptionally high and the man of the house called a family meeting. On a Saturday morning after breakfast ...

Father: People, this is unacceptable. You have to limit the use of the phone. I do not use this phone, I use the one at the office.

Mother: Same here, I hardly use this home telephone as I use my work telephone.

Son: Me too, I never use the home phone. I always use my company mobile.

Maid: So, what is the problem? We all use our work telephones!