As the state's peak body for older South Australians, COTA SA has identified five key priorities for South Australians aged 50+ in the 2026 State Election:

• State action on brain health
• A life navigation service for people aged 50+
• Free ambulance services for full age pensioners
• Reform the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS)
• Streamline concessions and expand Seniors Card eligibility

Drawing from extensive consultation with older people from across metropolitan and regional South Australia, COTA SA is calling for all political parties to commit to these priority actions for older South Australians.

COTA SA Chief Executive Officer, Miranda Starke, said, “Our five key priorities reflect exactly what older people across South Australia have told us they need.

“We know that these priorities will make a difference to older South Australians. We have spoken to thousands of people across the State who tell us cost of living pressures, access to healthcare and navigating complex systems are some of their greatest challenges.”

“We call upon all political parties to carefully consider these priorities as they shape their policies and election promises that affect the lives of older people.”

Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia, and South Australia has the oldest population on the mainland.

COTA SA is calling for a strategic state-level focus on brain health to complement the National Dementia Action Plan. This includes better training for health and aged care staff, stronger support for carers, improved risk reduction and brain health promotion, dementia-positive communities, and coordinated planning across government and community.

A dementia diagnosis has a ripple effect on an entire family, something that Michael experienced when his father was diagnosed with dementia and his condition escalated beyond what home support and residential care facilities could manage.

As the family searched for appropriate care, Michael watched his mother, the primary carer, withdraw from her social life as support services fell through, and several aged care facilities declined to keep his father due to the complexity of his behaviour. Eventually his father was admitted to the psych ward at Flinders Medical Centre, where he later died – far from a dementia positive environment – the strain on the entire family became overwhelming.

Michael explained, “My mother withdrew from her social activities and friends, even when support was found, it was fragile…When we tried to place dad in several nursing homes, each facility would decline after two or three weeks because of his physical strength, he ended up in a psych ward, it took four people to hold him down to change him. I felt really sorry for him.”

Michael said he believes that faster diagnosis, quicker access to assessments and services, and clearer guidance through the system would have made a real difference.

COTA SA Chief Executive, Miranda Starke, said, “Michael and his family were let down by a system that was too fragmented and lacked the specialised care and support they needed.”

“We hear stories like Michael’s all too often, and that’s why we’re calling for a South Australian focus on brain health that complements the National Dementia Action Plan, ensures health and aged care staff and providers have the training they need, gives carers better support, and helps communities to become truly dementia positive.”

Cost-of-living pressures, health issues, caring responsibilities, housing stress and ageism are making life harder for many older South Australians, especially those aged 50-65 who often fall through the gaps.

COTA SA proposes a Life Navigation Service, co-designed with older people, to help individuals find the right support before they reach crisis. The service would provide practical one-on-one guidance, financial and service navigation, and peer support from people with lived experience, offering a safety net to help people get back on their feet.

COTA SA’s recent Voices of Older South Australians report shows that older South Australians are struggling with the rising cost of living. As one research participant, Helen*, a woman in her early 70s, said, “We watch our water usage, electricity, food, heating. Sometimes we go without food if we have to. Watching TV, we add more jumpers, more rugs, just to keep warm, because we can't afford to have the heater on in the winter anymore. When it picks up over 35 degrees in summer then we might turn the air-con on, but we can't afford to.”

South Australia remains the only state where full age pensioners are charged for emergency ambulance services. With bills often exceeding $1,200, many older people are delaying calling Triple-0, for fear of the costs.

COTA SA is calling for free emergency ambulance services for all full age pensioners, bringing South Australia into line with the rest of the country.

Many older people in regional areas, particularly on the Fleurieu Peninsula, where a large proportion of older people live, are required to travel long distances to Adelaide for medical appointments.

The current Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) subsidy eligibility excludes residents who travel less than 100 km each way, leaving many to absorb significant out-of-pocket costs. COTA SA is calling for the Government to extend PATS eligibility to better reflect the needs of regional communities.

COTA SA has already welcomed Labor’s commitment to a four-year $16m expansion to PATS, which includes broadening eligibility for the travel subsidy so patients living between 50km and 100km from their treatment location, and who travel frequently for oncology or renal care, can access support if they clock more than 30km per week.

Miranda said, “COTA SA has championed the need for improved patient transport support over an extended period. Older people in regional South Australia consistently tell us that access to healthcare and transport are among their top concerns. Reforms that ease the financial strain of long‑distance medical travel are important and very welcome and we would like to see a similar commitment from the other parties.”

“These changes will make a huge difference for many older South Australians living in regional communities. Older people in Victor Harbor and Goolwa often highlight that they miss out on access to public transport because they live regionally, but they’re not considered regional enough to access PATS.”

Older South Australians report that the current concessions system is confusing, inconsistent and difficult to navigate. COTA SA says people miss out simply because they do not know what they are entitled to or how to apply.

COTA SA is calling for a simpler, more automated concessions system that links state and federal datasets so people receive the concessions they qualify for, without the burden of excessive paperwork.

We are also calling for support for removing the work limit for Seniors Card eligibility, so all South Australians aged 60+ can access the benefits.

COTA SA’s Voices report included stories from older South Australians struggling with the cost of living, who told us they believe that concessions and hardship systems “deliberately make it as hard as possible, because if they do that, they don’t have to pay out as much.”

One Adelaide woman in her early 70’s said it would make a significant difference to older people if they could just receive the benefit to which they were entitled without having to know what is available or navigate confusing application processes: “I got an electricity rebate a couple of months ago because I got a nice person on the line. When I enquired, she looked me up. She said ‘Oh, yes, you should have got this ages ago’. Got what? ‘The electricity rebate…’. It was something I hadn't applied for that I should have had in place.”

Ruth*, a woman in her 70s living in Adelaide’s north also told COTA SA about the stress of applying for concessions, stating “Older people can’t do all that…it’s too hard.”

*Note: The names of the two subjects quoted have been changed to Helen and Ruth at their request for anonymity.