Role Title: Navigating Difficult Conversations: guidelines on how to initiate and respond to important conversations
Organisation: Council of the Ageing WA (COTA)
Internship Period: Semester 2 (July – October)
Location: The Perron Centre, 61 Kitchener Ave, Victoria Park WA 6100
The role will involve developing guidelines for people with older parents to have important conversations about what the future may hold and to provide an action plan arising from these conversations. Barriers to having these difficult conversations include issues such as:
• Denial or fear of aging.
• Children afraid to 'parent their parent'.
• Cultural, generational or emotional reluctance to discuss money, death, or personal issues
Topics covered will include:
• Explaining why people can resist communicating on these issues
• Living preferences: stay at home, move, assisted living.
• Home safety assessments and modifications.
• Driving abilities and alternatives.
• Health checkups, chronic illness, medication management.
• End-of-life preferences: funeral, power of attorney.
• Finances: wills, pensions, insurance, power of attorney.
• Social life & relationships: dating, companionship.
• Emotional wellbeing.
Starting life in 1959 as the old people’s welfare council of Western Australia, the change to the Western Australian Council of the Ageing in 1968 also crystallised the founding principal of valuing the contribution and lived experience of older people and the advance the rights, needs and interests of older western Australians. We work towards an equitable, just and inclusive society in which older people can flourish.