Robin Vote is a member of OPAN’s National Older Persons Reference Group, which was formed in 2020 to hear directly from older people about the issues that affect them and to facilitate their active participation in aged care reform.
Tell us a little about your background
I’m a nurse by profession, but I also studied biology, majoring in entomology. I didn’t complete my degree as I got married. It was important to me to have the privilege of staying at home as a young mother. As soon as my youngest child was in preschool, I became a refugee settlement worker in Cabramatta. Then, my interests and my career morphed into health and community service policy and delivery.
What made you decide to join the National Older Persons Reference Group?
A well-known aged care advocate urged me to join. I formed a group of older people in my local government area because I was determined to retain the council’s home care services. By gaining huge community support, our group successfully reversed the council’s decision to relinquish its aged care funding.
What’s your superpower?
I have no superpower, but over the years, I have learned that honesty, tenacity, resilience, communication, and respect for the power of the community are essential tools in advocating for one’s beliefs.
What has been your proudest achievement during your time in the reference group?
Being a member of NOPRG means participating in a degree course on aged care issues. I continue to learn from other members and sometimes guest speakers about the myriad and diversity of matters that affect us as we age. I’ve sometimes been proud of drawing on my life experiences and contributing to important discussions and solutions.
What has been one of the biggest challenges?
One of the biggest challenges is that, as advocates, we’ve been thrown into a them-or-us mindset and are battling against aged care providers. We are, after all, part of the same system.
What has being a reference group member taught you?
That I still have the capacity to learn from others and that I remain (for now) in control of my destiny.
What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
Three times a week, I attend early morning aquarobics classes. On other days, I don’t get out of bed very easily because I’m a night owl.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I have a horse named Amped Up, the offspring of Melbourne Cup winner Americain. Zac (as we call him) is the world’s slowest racehorse. He is very content on my daughter’s farm, consuming all her dollars.
What’s the one possession you couldn’t live without?
I couldn’t live without my garden. It keeps me endlessly intrigued, sometimes frustrated and reasonably fit.
What’s the best thing about being an older person?
Being me and having so much more time to do everything I enjoy.
What’s the worst thing about being an older person?
The advent of aches and pains and living with the results of a few poor decisions I’ve taken in my life.
Do you have any good tips for countering ageism?
Challenging ageism is difficult as our society is rife with it. My way of dealing with ageism directed at me is to name it, whatever the setting. ‘No, I’m not your dear, my name is Robin’, I say with a smile. Systemic ageism is another matter, and I will vote for any political party that can eradicate it.
If you could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Sir David Attenborough. He should be awarded a Nobel prize as he has inspired a universal interest and knowledge of the natural world and shifted the dial on environmental issues. Sir David is charming and erudite and remains, at 98, positive.
