BOB Birkhead hopes the spirit that followed the 1994 bushfires in Sutherland Shire will be revived by the Shire Futures project.
"The spirit that we saw after the bushfires doesn't exist to the same extent, unfortunately," he said.
In an attempt to recapture that sense of community the project asked people last September what they wanted in order to improve their lives.
Overall, 120 people who attended that meeting nine months ago came up with 400 ideas.
From those ideas several broad categories were identified: sport and recreation, business and economic activity, the arts, culture and entertainment, youth and education, and community services and welfare.
Now there has been another subdivision which deals with the topics that surround the "beyond retirement" phase of life and the range of aged-care options.
Project chairman and former Cronulla MP Malcolm Kerr said Australia — and the shire — had an ageing population, with the number of people aged 70 and above expected to double in the next 20 years.
"The number will increase from just below 2 million to about 4 million," Mr Kerr said.
"More than 1 million people access aged-care services and of this figure, more than 215,000 live in aged-care facilities, ranging from hostels to high-care nursing homes."
The project is about to host free information sessions on aged care.
Topics covered include Centrelink implications, aged-care facilities and what to expect, financial planning and smart strategies, as well as the legal aspects involved with the many options for aged care.
The free information sessions on aged care will be held at 11am, 4pm and 7pm on Tuesday, July 16, at Miranda RSL, 615 Kingsway.
The sessions are expected to be popular, so early bookings are necessary: 9548 2326.
Details: Bob Birkhead, 0413 901 297.
What are your ideas for the Futures Project?
