[Clancieblue]

Many women from non English speaking countries were bought here and had no social life outside their own ethnic community. They were housewives and mothers and didn't have the type of lives many of us have lived. Working in the community and socializing at coffee shops. I have met dozens of women who were socially isolated, Greek, Italian and Jordanian. I'm sure there are many others who were never allowed to mix outside their nationalities, preventing them from learning English.

 

[Reet]

What happens to older people who live in a country area with no internet knowledge and no bus service. It is impossible to get into the heads of the people in Government Service Dept. I hope they realise what should happen before they are old and put in the same position.

 

[Jeninene]

I live in S.A. and am 90yrs old. I meet this type of discrimination all the time, I sometimes wish I could opt out of it all, where would I be then I wonder! Another gripe I have is having to wait so long to be answered when I telephone a company. Some companies I will not ring at all, I am not prepared to wait over an hour before they answer.

 

[starrysnan]

The great joy(?) of doing everything online is often marred by websites that are very unfriendly to use. Many companies these days do not want to talk to you and actually help. I am lucky to have a 36 year old daughter who can help me navigate some of the trickier websites and apps. Her help saves a lot of time and frustration.

 

[Liz]

I have neighbours who fled to Australia from Europe and won't apply for Aged Care Support because they are fearful of governments. This poor lady, whom the article states doesn't speak English, is not on her own. She could be terrified of governments because of possibly what she went through. She is not on her own. I hate apps as well. I will not use them, e.g. Telstra app which is very unfriendly for me. I would rather speak to a human but I am prepared to wait on the landline till I can get through to someone who can explain what I need. I am not near 90 but these apps scare me and their implications. Just getting texts which are scams and most of which are blocked by Telstra worries me. I am being forced by lack of technology to use a mobile phone more than I want to. I know I will be shot down by members but I only choose to use the mobile in an emergency because the NBN service is shocking.

 

[Mika]

You can apply for all rebates through the NSW service app. Service NSW is seperate to centrelink.

Ok she has no relatives but wouldn't she at least have a close friend that can help. Or at 92 wouldn't she have home help

Also her electricity company should be able to apply most rebates . It states on Service NSW website to either apply through them or contact your electricity company

You obviously didn’t read the article. And my 91 year old mother can’t use a smart phone either so telling them to use an App is just ignorance On your part. She doesn’t have home help, her friends are the same age and her nearest family are 1500 klms away.

 

[Emjay508]

This lady needs help not some stupid app, Not everyone uses apps for everything. I certainly do not for health reasons. Plus scammers are extra good with apps. Service NSW is very unhelpful on the phone if they do not hang up onto you. Their website is user UNFRIENDLY too. Just like verything is going from bad to worse
Suzanne, many elderly people do not have their Kids to help out at all for many reasons, asking "friends" to help may cost a lot of money too. Feeling helpless in a technological world is bad for many older people. Children are brought up on apps why? Home help? If she is able and does not want home help or cannot afford it what happens? Govt does not care!!

im having a similar issue. These young people answer you as if you were born the same year they were. They need to be trained to speak to the elderly so we can understand what to do. The last time I was an employee I was using a manual typewriter, even though electrics hadjust come in. Ever person who works with the public needs to know this and be trained inhow to treat and respect the elderly. Of course we have emaiks and iPhones bust. I have to now go to a solicitor or accountant to sort out the mess they have put me in. Very stressful!

 

[Clancieblue]

You obviously didn’t read the article. And my 91 year old mother can’t use a smart phone either so telling them to use an App is just ignorance On your part. She doesn’t have home help, her friends are the same age and her nearest family are 1500 klms away.

Not necessary to be rude to someone who was trying to help.
I'm interested to know how you have all this information as I did not read that in the article.

 

[jarrett2546]

Agree! If her story is out there then someone has done it for her and could have helped her.

When people apply online or through apps for these Government & other subsidies, rebates etc they need their OWN email address unfortunately, they cannot apply through someone else's. Often elderly people do not have an their OWN email address as they often do not have the internet.
There are different Energy forms for different circumstances. A Service NSW office should be able to help her or a friend if they go into an office.
I agree Service NSW badly named & I worked there.

 

[CarpetFactory]

How stupid

 

[Sherza]

That’s disgusting. i doubt very much that it’s just in NSW either. There is a lot of that sort of thing goi on these days. We’re constantly being told we have to do things online.

 

[Angela Cockburn]

Last week I was having some scans performed on my broken leg metal inserts. It was quite a long session and I had to wait for about 25 mins for my appointment to begin. No issues there, During the waiting time I decided to get onto my Centrlink app to check on a few things. Lo and behold I got a large message accross the creen that my account had been terminated. It came as a shock as I have never done anything that could be construed as even controversial in the lowest sense. So. I thought I must ring them. The Centrelink offices were just about 150 meters up street from where I was waiting for my appointment but not wanting to miss my treatment I called. I was sent through a number of questions and refered to a sequence of different telephone numbers that I could call which was totally confusing. I rang back using the seniors line and surprisingly was given similar treatment. After about 20 mins I was told that the waiting time would be 68 minutes! Ridiculous I thought. I checked the app again and got the Account Closed warning again. After my appointment about 2 hours later I decided to go the the Centerlink offices but unfortunately they had closed for the day. After arriving home I checked the app again and found that it was working fine. This is why many people, not just pensioners do not trust these apps.

Re. the app: you probably hadn't changed your phone over to access mobile data while you were out, instead of your home network. On my Samsung S20 the toggle is in the drop down menu of icons at the top of the screen.

 

[constantpain666]

This lady isn't the only one. My mum doesn't have a computer, she gets sick of spending hours in the queue, so she has to go into a branch and spend more time waiting for assistance. I have to stick up for my fellow federal public servants, I was one for 25 years, not all of us get a great pay and have many houses, nor do we agree with everything that we have to do, say or follow. However, if we don't, we can end up with everyone else and not have a job. It was so much easier when I left high school. You're right people, not only the elderly need more assistance. I now have to use a walker. I got told to never go to centrelink, or any government branch, without my walker. Sorry people who don't need one, but if you have some aid to indicate you are mobility impaired, you most often get dragged to the front of the queue. The fact you have a carer with you is irrevealent, if they can't see that you have issues, you're lobbed into the mound of 'normal' people. Now I know people will say that's not true. I dislike using my conditions to get ahead of others, but if it's the only way. You need to play their game by their rules. And that isn't fair, nor is it right. There are all sorts of requirements for having another person speak for you, sometimes it not just having them take you, or make the call for you, and there are more rules if English isn't your language, and you need a translator. Life isn't easy for a lot of people. Until we get minister's who have disabilities, nothing is going to change.

 

[Dawsonp]

This lady isn't the only one. My mum doesn't have a computer, she gets sick of spending hours in the queue, so she has to go into a branch and spend more time waiting for assistance. I have to stick up for my fellow federal public servants, I was one for 25 years, not all of us get a great pay and have many houses, nor do we agree with everything that we have to do, say or follow. However, if we don't, we can end up with everyone else and not have a job. It was so much easier when I left high school. You're right people, not only the elderly need more assistance. I now have to use a walker. I got told to never go to centrelink, or any government branch, without my walker. Sorry people who don't need one, but if you have some aid to indicate you are mobility impaired, you most often get dragged to the front of the queue. The fact you have a carer with you is irrevealent, if they can't see that you have issues, you're lobbed into the mound of 'normal' people. Now I know people will say that's not true. I dislike using my conditions to get ahead of others, but if it's the only way. You need to play their game by their rules. And that isn't fair, nor is it right. There are all sorts of requirements for having another person speak for you, sometimes it not just having them take you, or make the call for you, and there are more rules if English isn't your language, and you need a translator. Life isn't easy for a lot of people. Until we get minister's who have disabilities, nothing is going to change.

So true Liz, we can only hope “someone” will get to understand the plight of the elderly.

 

[Mr Chips]

Re. the app: you probably hadn't changed your phone over to access mobile data while you were out, instead of your home network. On my Samsung S20 the toggle is in the drop down menu of icons at the top of the screen.

Thank you Angela for that advise. You may have a point but I have used that app many times whilst out and about without changing any settings on my phone so I am still curious but will take your advice next time it happens. Thank you and have a great day.

 

[advocate]

This lady isn't the only one. My mum doesn't have a computer, she gets sick of spending hours in the queue, so she has to go into a branch and spend more time waiting for assistance. I have to stick up for my fellow federal public servants, I was one for 25 years, not all of us get a great pay and have many houses, nor do we agree with everything that we have to do, say or follow. However, if we don't, we can end up with everyone else and not have a job. It was so much easier when I left high school. You're right people, not only the elderly need more assistance. I now have to use a walker. I got told to never go to centrelink, or any government branch, without my walker. Sorry people who don't need one, but if you have some aid to indicate you are mobility impaired, you most often get dragged to the front of the queue. The fact you have a carer with you is irrevealent, if they can't see that you have issues, you're lobbed into the mound of 'normal' people. Now I know people will say that's not true. I dislike using my conditions to get ahead of others, but if it's the only way. You need to play their game by their rules. And that isn't fair, nor is it right. There are all sorts of requirements for having another person speak for you, sometimes it not just having them take you, or make the call for you, and there are more rules if English isn't your language, and you need a translator. Life isn't easy for a lot of people. Until we get minister's who have disabilities, nothing is going to change.

It goes against human rights and not about assisting them .Until people learn to unite in voting for a change to better everyone's life Self Serving Public Servants politicians and Governments contracting ot to private sectors giving excuses no blame it will not. change

 

[Bridgette Pace]

She is 94 and has probably outlived her friends who passed away from no understand apps syndrome.

Surprising that no one who has made a comment other than you, Mr. Chips, has not realised that fact. If they were aware of what some 90 year olds and somewhat younger people go through via isolation etc. then the comments would be more helpful. It is even more difficult when English is not their first language and it is unlikely that there were many friends from her background still alive otherwise they would have helped. There is definitely a payment for self-funded retirees and it has to be applied for on line in July of each year. Perhaps the person who wrote the post on behalf of this person could go to a library or some other community service and ask them to do it for her. Perhaps even going to the local MP's office might help by asking one of their staff to do it for it for her. Some MPs offices are quite helpful. Remember the old adage - "if you don't ask you don' get". There might be quite a few people out there who might be willing to help. Rather than criticism, providing suggestions and a possible solution would be the best way to reply to the person who made the comment about the poor lady's problem.

 

[Catherines]

Many women from non English speaking countries were bought here and had no social life outside their own ethnic community. They were housewives and mothers and didn't have the type of lives many of us have lived. Working in the community and socializing at coffee shops. I have met dozens of women who were socially isolated, Greek, Italian and Jordanian. I'm sure there are many others who were never allowed to mix outside their nationalities, preventing them from learning English.

I agree 100% with your comments about people from non-English speaking countries who are unable to navigate the language barrier and also the elderly who have never had to use computers or have not been exposed to modern technology. We should not be forced to used technology to the same extent as our younger counterparts now working in offices with current modern technology. We should all understand everyone grows old and the younger workers & technology users of today will one day find they won’t know what to do when technology has advanced so fast even they haven’t been able to keep up.

Being ‘bought’ here indicates we paid for them (but we didn’t PAY) but we ‘brought’ (meaning to bring) them here from other countries and there is a difference in the meaning of those two words. LOOK THEM UP. These are just two of the incorrectly used words in the English speech of Australians, but we need to differentiate between their usage. It was once said on this site, by the person who commented to my remarks then, that they didn’t know this was an English class - true - but the incorrect use of those two words in particular indicate the LAZINESS of the speaker and that is where we need to change if we want to comment on those that come here and cannot navigate technology or the language.

I came from INDIA in 1965 as a working adult in my early 20s (NOT a school student who wanted to learn the language here). I had a very high standard of written and spoken English. So, although pronunciation of a language by an immigrant may be accented, it does not mean a person from another country is ignorant of English. My family took offence to Australians in the late 60s asking us where we learned to speak English and wanted to know if we ‘sat under trees to learn’. That was the ignorance of Australians at that time.

I know many of this site’s replies are going to criticise me but that is my stance on how, why, where and when immigrants (and Australians) use English. Even politicians cannot use these two words correctly.

 

[Catherines]

Surprising that no one who has made a comment other than you, Mr. Chips, has not realised that fact. If they were aware of what some 90 year olds and somewhat younger people go through via isolation etc. then the comments would be more helpful. It is even more difficult when English is not their first language and it is unlikely that there were many friends from her background still alive otherwise they would have helped. There is definitely a payment for self-funded retirees and it has to be applied for on line in July of each year. Perhaps the person who wrote the post on behalf of this person could go to a library or some other community service and ask them to do it for her. Perhaps even going to the local MP's office might help by asking one of their staff to do it for it for her. Some MPs offices are quite helpful. Remember the old adage - "if you don't ask you don' get". There might be quite a few people out there who might be willing to help. Rather than criticism, providing suggestions and a possible solution would be the best way to reply to the person who made the comment about the poor lady's problem.

I have an 80-year old friend and ex-workmate who has recently had to put her husband into a care facility because of quite advanced dementia. He used to do all the accounts and business side of things in their home. She is totally overwhelmed now with what to do, where to go and how to navigate through her day to day life. I have been able to help, to a point, with navigation of some systems including My Aged Care and what she coukd be entitled to - she didn’t even know she could get some allowances like the electricity allowance even though her assets exceed the limits for any pension. If I come across something that might help her I let her know. We both used computers in our work, and I still do, and know how to navigate the internet to get what information I necessarily need but she is totally overwhelmed with what to know and where to go, so I help where I can.

It costs nothing to help another, so we can all do that for our neighbours and friends who need us.

 

[Bridgette Pace]

I agree 100% with your comments about people from non-English speaking countries who are unable to navigate the language barrier and also the elderly who have never had to use computers or have not been exposed to modern technology. We should not be forced to used technology to the same extent as our younger counterparts now working in offices with current modern technology. We should all understand everyone grows old and the younger workers & technology users of today will one day find they won’t know what to do when technology has advanced so fast even they haven’t been able to keep up.

Being ‘bought’ here indicates we paid for them (but we didn’t PAY) but we ‘brought’ (meaning to bring) them here from other countries and there is a difference in the meaning of those two words. LOOK THEM UP. These are just two of the incorrectly used words in the English speech of Australians, but we need to differentiate between their usage. It was once said on this site, by the person who commented to my remarks then, that they didn’t know this was an English class - true - but the incorrect use of those two words in particular indicate the LAZINESS of the speaker and that is where we need to change if we want to comment on those that come here and cannot navigate technology or the language.

I came from INDIA in 1965 as a working adult in my early 20s (NOT a school student who wanted to learn the language here). I had a very high standard of written and spoken English. So, although pronunciation of a language by an immigrant may be accented, it does not mean a person from another country is ignorant of English. My family took offence to Australians in the late 60s asking us where we learned to speak English and wanted to know if we ‘sat under trees to learn’. That was the ignorance of Australians at that time.

I know many of this site’s replies are going to criticise me but that is my stance on how, why, where and when immigrants (and Australians) use English. Even politicians cannot use these two words correctly.

I certainly would not criticise you because what you have said it irrefutable. The remark you refer to about not being "in an English class" is quite a poor reflection on the person who made it. Instead of appreciating the correction, which would only enhance the person's command of the English language, it is , yet again, another example of the tall poppy syndrome which a lot of people seem to suffer from. I can't add any more to your comment because you explained and expressed the situation factually and clearly. Well done to you!