'Side by Side' for COVID recovery : de-stigmatising ageing and re-integrating elders as valued contributors to society

The population of Australia is significantly increasing and projected to further rise over the coming years (Caughey et al. 2020). As this grows, so does the proportion of elders (people aged 65 years and over). Already in 2012, one in seven Australians was 'old' and this ratio is estimated to rise to one in four by 2050 (Negin et al. 2016). According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, discrimination against elders takes many forms which impact and compound upon each other. Our concern is stigma experienced by elders and the associated risks of isolation, particularly in assisted living situations such as aged care homes. Media attention on transmission and fatalities in aged care, in the absence of a strengths-based discourse, highlights elders' vulnerabilities, painting them as frail and at-risk. This exacerbates stigma that already surrounds ageing, heightening factors such as exclusion and loneliness that threaten wellbeing and increase premature mortality (Blunden et al. 2019; Kobayashi, Cloutier-Fisher and Roth 2009; Miyawaki 2015; UNDESA 2020). In response to the COVID-19 crisis in aged care, we propose 'Side by Side', an initiative led by a consortium of community and professional stakeholders. 'Side by Side' aims to boost cross-generational participation in elders' lives, activate local and collective support structures, and position elders as community assets. Highlighting the need for older generations to maintain agency in how their support needs are met, this submission encourages active community participation in elders' support systems. We aim for this initiative to boost community connection with a long-range goal of destigmatising age. Importantly, these connections could be particularly beneficial in activating localised support for older generations in peri and post emergencies, such as pandemics and weather extremes.