As part of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on 15 June 2020, Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) and Swinburne University helped to change the story about older people by releasing new videos of older people who had previously featured in the OPERA project.

ECLC and Swinburne University spoke to some active older Australians about the impact of COVID-19 on them and how they are taking care of themselves and others during the lockdown.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, older people were encouraged to isolate themselves from their friends and family. For many older people, isolation from family and friends can take a toll on their physical and mental wellbeing.

Aboriginal elder Aunty Janet, who features in one of the new videos, said she’s finding the dependence on an economic system that provides us with money to keep the economic wheels turning is emotionally and physically unsatisfying along with the psychological impact of constantly going from one thing to the next.

“There is something inherently wrong with this system.

“For me, the positive is somewhere we had to slow down.

“The interesting thing I’m seeing is the panic about what we do next. I’d be interested to see in 12 months what we’ve done,” said Aunty Janet.

Watch the videos of Aunty Janet, Marilyn, Lesley, and Lynda to find out about their fulfilling lives and how they are managing the Coronavirus lockdown.