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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing Advisory Group (ATSIAAG)
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing Advisory Group (ATSIAAG) reports to the AAG Board to assist in building evidence regarding gaps, challenges and opportunities, as well as provide guidance and advice on all issues related to ageing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ATSIAAG welcomes Indigenous Australians to join.
The ATSIAAG achieves this through consultation and the development of partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, researchers and organisations. This ensures that the AAG is able to represent Australia’s first peoples in the ageing policy arena in an informed and
collaborative way.
Click here to find out more information of to join the group
Click here to find out more about FRIENDS OF ATSIAAG
Members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing Advisory Group (ATSIAAG)
Reports
The Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) through its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing Advisory Group (ATSIAAG), released a landmark report on the 13th of June, Assuring equity of access and quality outcomes for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: What needs to be done. Click here for more information about the launch
Minister Wyatt with ATSIAAG Co Chairs Graham Aitken, Ros Malay and James Beckford Saunders
"Closing Remote Communities: Effects on Ageing in Place" was officially launched by The Hon Ken Wyatt MP, Federal Member for Hasluck and Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care at the 49th AAG Annual Conference.
Members of the ATSIAAG
Roslyn Malay – Co-Chair
Roslyn Malay is a Kija woman from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She grew up in Halls Creek and is well known and respected across the region and lives in Broome W.A.. She has a passion for working in the area of Aboriginal ageing, particularly in the remote community setting. Roslyn is currently working as a Project Officer with the University of Western Australia, WA Centre for Health and Ageing testing an empowerment intervention addressing the needs of unpaid family carers. Roslyn is committed to facilitating knowledge exchange of Aboriginal culture to non-Aboriginal people and has helped increase the awareness of dementia and cognitive impairment in remote communities in the Kimberley.
Graham Aitken – Co-Chair
Graham Aitken is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Aboriginal Elders and Community Care Services Inc. (AECCS) and the Treasurer of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation Community Transport Network. AECCS is the largest aged care service provider for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders in Adelaide and South Australia. Prior to his current role, Graham worked for over 15 years with various Commonwealth and State Government Departments on programs specifically designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In his last position in Government, Graham was responsible for the administration and funding for all the former Aboriginal Home and Community Care (HACC) services and programs across South Australia.
Graham completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Adelaide’s Flinders University as amature aged student, with majors in International Business and Human Resource Management and a minor in Business Economics.
Graham was also a member of the former Ageing Consultative Committee and the Ageing Expert Advisory Group that provided high level advice and information to the former Minister for Ageing and the Department of Health and Ageing.
Graham has a passion and commitment to ensure that during the current Aged Care Reforms, all Elders have access to reliable and consistent aged care services, no matter where they might live.
Mark Elliott – Immediate Past Chair
Mark Elliot is the inaugural chair of ATSIAAG. He is currently the Aboriginal Project Officer at the Seniors Information Service in Adelaide South Australia (SA).
He has been involved with Aboriginal Health, Ageing and Dementia in various roles for the past eight years since he helped to design and deliver the “Strengthening Dementia Care in Indigenous Communities” program while working as the Aboriginal Project Officer for Alzheimer’s Australia SA. This program attracted international attention and won an honorable mention in the Mentor International Awards.
Mark was one of the founding members of the National Aboriginal Dementia Advisory Group (NADAG) to Alzheimer’s Australia which later became the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dementia Advisory Group (NATSIDAG).
Mark also assisted in the development of and co-delivered the national pilot training of the Dementia Learning Resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities in 2012 at the Aboriginal Health Council of SA and is a qualified trainer/assessor.
Related
The health of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
