Advocating For Older Australians

For more than 35 years, Debra Nicholl, the current CEO, Elder Rights Advocacy, has worked with older Australians.  Debra continues to take action through proactive and systematic advocacy to uphold the human rights of older people as provide accurate information and support that empowers individuals to self-advocate.

Earlier this week, Aged Care Minister, Anika Wells addressed an audience that included her mother, an aged care worker, at the National Press Club in Canberra. Minister Wells stated that ‘The Baby Boomers are coming’, foreshadowing the next generation of older Australians entering aged care, highlighting that this new cohort will demand a fairer and more equitable system to meet their needs.

In her role as CEO, Debra wants to concentrate on systemic advocacy that brings about lasting change and improvements to the aged care sector and provides a network of support for older people to speak up on their own behalf.

Briefly describe your career trajectory (including any study) and how you got to your position as CEO of Elder Rights Advocacy.

My mother was managing an aged care facility in Queensland, and when I turned 16, she asked me to help out in the kitchen on weekends. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to older people and would find myself in trouble for sitting a talking with the residents rather than getting on with my work collecting breakfast trays or sweeping the floor. 

Years later, as I raised my family and continued with my study, casual work in aged care was a perfect fit. I worked in community care and in residential care in Qld, SA and then here in Victoria. I also cared for my own grandmother at home for last six years of her life, so I have lived experience of being a carer, support worker and assistant in nursing.

I started working at Elder Rights Advocacy back in 2006 as the first intake advocate when there were only three advocates covering the whole state of Victoria. They were very experienced professionals, and I learnt a great deal from them about being an effective rights-based advocate and empowering others with information and support. Before long, I was asked to step into the advocate role, later becoming senior educator, regional advocacy manager, general advocacy manager, programs manager, Deputy CEO and now CEO nearly 17 years later. It has been a slow progression filled with learning and experience in a great organisation that was founded over 30 years ago by older people for older people.

Take us through a typical day of work for you.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with some very talented and dedicated colleagues over the years, and of course to have also worked with and for older Victorians, their families and representatives.

Whereas I was once on the road most days attending case meetings or delivering education sessions, I am now at my desk taking care of the business of running a growing organisation. Ensuring that our team has what they need to continue to provide a quality service to older people as well as supporting them in what is not an easy job, representing the perceived interests and human rights of older people receiving aged care services. 

What are the biggest issues facing Australia’s older people, and how can these be addressed?

The Aged Care Royal Commission highlighted the many deficiencies in the Australian aged care system, as well as providing some clear pathways to improvement. I am heartened by the reforms that are now occurring but recognise that we have a long road ahead before we can provide aged care services that are safe and appropriate for all those who need them. 

The workforce issues must be addressed as a priority so that older people receive care and services from professionals who are educated, supported and renumerated in recognition of the importance of their role and the complexity of providing quality aged care. We need to listen to the voices of older people who are receiving care so that they become co-designers of a system that they use and that they have paid for.

What is your proudest work achievement?

There is no one achievement that I am most proud of in my professional life; rather, there have been many small but significant moments where I have been able to make a difference to an individual’s experience or to have a positive influence on how aged care services are provided. The people I have met, the stories they have shared and the trust they have placed in me has made my job a pleasure and has helped me to cope with some not-so-great outcomes and the continued need for systemic advocacy in support of the human rights of older people to be treated with dignity and respect.

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career? 

My career has developed organically with my choosing study in areas relevant to what I was doing at the time; there was no grand plan or deliberate direction taken when I was young. 

How do you stay motivated to work in this field?

I have been motivated by the need to spend my time doing meaning full work that helps others and raises awareness of social justice issues, in particular, age discrimination and the negative effects it has on us all.

How do you unwind after work?

I am extremely fortunate in that I have a family including four grandchildren who keep me busy when I am not working. My husband of over 40 years and I have an interest in regional towns and their beautiful old buildings. We live in Central Victoria in a cottage built in 1860 during the gold rush and recently purchased and old, unloved building the Western District that is also circa 1860, so we spend any spare time there fixing and renovating. 

What was the last thing you:

Watched? The last thing I watched was Disney’s Moama with my Granddaughter. I love it and almost know the words off by heart, as does she. I am not allowed to sing along, however!

Read? I am reading a couple of books at the moment, Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta and Freedom from the Known by J. Krishnamurti. Both books challenge my thinking, preconceptions and understanding of the world. I will have to read them a few times no doubt to make some small gains. 

Listened to? I don’t get a lot of quiet, focused thinking time, so when I have time I often just love listening to the silence.