Seniors Rights Service is a community organisation dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights of older people, particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
We provide free and confidential telephone advice, aged care advocacy and support, legal advice and community information to seniors across New South Wales.
Our aged care advocates assist older people who receive Commonwealth-funded aged care services at home or in residential care, as well as their carers or family members.
We listen, clarify your issues, provide information, inform you of your rights, identify possible outcomes, help you advocate for yourself and, if requested, speak up for you. For example, many people feel uncomfortable raising a complaint about a service they depend on for their daily care. Our advocates can do this on their behalf.
More information about aged care advocacy
Our legal team provides advice to older people on human rights (discrimination, abuse – physical, psychological, financial, other), planning for the future (wills, power of attorney, guardianship), consumer rights (debt management, unfair contracts), accommodation matters (granny flats, strata) and other issues.
We provide advice to strata, retirement village and aged care residents on issues arising from disputes or interpretation of contracts.
More information about our legal services
Seniors Rights Service runs community information sessions across NSW to older people, their families and carers, and those who provide aged care services. We provide information about your rights, planning for the future, rights around prevention of abuse or exploitation, and other issues. We come to you – to your aged care residence, community hall or club. We also tailor the session to your needs and have provided information in many languages or with cultural sensitivities in mind.
The needs of some groups in our community often go unmet by mainstream services. Therefore Seniors Rights Service prioritises assisting people who are:
- disadvantaged and vulnerable
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- culturally and linguistically diverse
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, other
- in regional, rural and remote locations
Funding
Seniors Rights Service is a community legal centre and is accredited by the National Association of Community Legal Centres.
Seniors Rights Service receives funding from:
• Older Person’s Advocacy Network (OPAN)
• NSW Fair Trading
• Legal Aid NSW
• NSW Department of Communities and Justice
• Council on the Ageing (COTA)
