Find out more about services, events and programs for seniors by clicking the headings below. 
For more information, please contact the City's Community Development Team on 6820 3008 or email [email protected]
Seniors Events and Programs
The City of Albany delivers regular activities and events for seniors. To find out more about upcoming events visit the City of Albany Events Calendar.
For more information on the City's seniors events contact the Community Development Team on 6820 3023 or email [email protected]
Albany Public Library
Albany Public Library hosts a range of free activities, programs and information sessions suited to seniors. To find out more about upcoming activities visit the Albany Public Library Events Calendar.
To keep up to date on Albany Public Library events you can sign up to their newsletter here.
For more information, contact Albany Public Library on 6820 3600.
Long Live You
The Long Live You program at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre is a membership specifically for over 50's that offers a unique suite of physical, social and educational programs.
For more information about Long Live You call Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre on 6820 3400 or visit the ALAC website.
Community Groups
Visit My Community Directory to find out about:
- Clubs and community groups for seniors
- Art groups
- Sport clubs and recreation activities
- Volunteering opportunities
Seniors Support Services
Local Services
For information on local services visit My Community Directory
The At Home Guide
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Western Australia has developed ‘The At Home Guide’ to support older Western Australians to live well.
'The At Home Guide' provides information on:
- Accessing services
- Social and physical engagement
- Safety and security
- Health and wellbeing
For more information and to access this free resource visit the COTA WA website.
Regional Pensioner Travel Card
The Country Age Pension Fuel Card has been renamed as the Regional Pensioner Travel Card in 2024. The new program applies to regional residents in receipt of a Centrelink Age Pension, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, Department of Veterans' Affairs Service Pension, Social Security Age Pension, or Income Support Supplement. To apply for a travel card you need to complete an application form at your nearest Post Office. You can find more information on the travel card on the information sheet here.
My Aged Care
My Aged Care is an Australian Government website and phone line to help you find out what aged care services may be available to help you.
As you get older, living independently in your own home can become more difficult. If you’re finding it harder to do the things you used to, you can ask for some help at home. Asking for help doesn’t mean losing your independence; it’s quite the opposite. Getting a little help with daily activities means you can stay independent in your own home for longer. In fact, a little support can lead to a much better life.
Getting some help at home can enable you to continue to live independently in your own home for as long as possible.
You may be eligible to receive services such as:
Help at home
- personal care like help getting dressed
- transport
- modifications to your home like hand rails or ramps
- nursing, physiotherapy and other care
- meals
- household jobs like cleaning or gardening
- equipment like walking frames
- social activities
Short-term help
- when you have had a setback and want to get your independence back
- recovery from an accident or illness, including after a hospital stay
- when you or your carer needs a break
Care in an aged care home
If you find you need ongoing help with day-to-day tasks or health care, a residential aged care home lets you live in a supported environment where help is available 24 hours a day.
Call 1800 200 422 for further details, or visit the My Aged Care website
Red Cross Telecross Service & Home Visitors Scheme
Telecross
The Red Cross Telecross service can provide you with a daily telephone call to check on your wellbeing.
Telecross is for people who live alone and are at risk of an accident or illness that may go unnoticed. In particular, people who:
- are frail and elderly
- have a disability
- are housebound
- are recovering from an illness or accident
Telecross is also available to the carers of people who are eligible for the service. When family and carers are away, or if someone has just returned home after a hospital stay, Telecross can also be used on a temporary basis.
For more information visit the Red Cross website.
Community Visitors Scheme
The Community Visitors Scheme is a free service where a Red Cross volunteer visits you regularly to spend time together.
You can:
- have a cup of tea
- have a chat and a laugh
- read together
- watch sport
- play cards
- listen to music
or do another similar activity that you both enjoy.
For more information visit the Red Cross website.
Age Friendly Albany Plan
The City’s first Age-Friendly Plan was developed in 2016 following increased awareness on the importance of planning for an ageing population. The Age Friendly Albany Plan 2023-2027 has considered the achievements and lessons learnt from the 2016-2020 Plan and aims to direct the City’s age-friendly priorities over the next four years.
The Plan includes a detailed action plan informed by extensive consultation with community members and City of Albany staff
throughout 2022-2023, which will guide the work that the City undertakes in this space.
Age Friendly Albany Plan 2023-2027
To download a copy of the current Plan, please follow the link below.
Age-Friendly Albany Plan 2023-2027
To request the 2023-2027 Age-Friendly Albany Plan in an alternative format, or for more information, please contact the Community Development team on 6820 3023 or email [email protected]
Age Friendly Charter
The City of Albany in partnership with WA Primary Health Alliance launched the Age-Friendly Charter 2019- 2024. The Age-Friendly Charter aims to provide a future road map that reflects the voice of our older community members. The special project aimed to develop a collaborative charter in the Lower Great Southern to shape and strengthen the health system and broader community.
The Charter was complete with extensive community consultation, and the WA Primary Health Alliance is encouraging more signatories for communities to adopt the charter as a platform to support a resilient, vibrant and prosperous region where everyone is valued and respected.
A copy of the charter is available below:
Age Friendly Charter 2019-2024
Compassionate Cities Charter
Following this increase in awareness and the strengthening of partnerships within the City, a Compassionate Cities Charter was developed in partnership with the WA Primary Health Alliance. The aim is to encourage communities to play a much stronger role in the care of people at end of life, and their families and carers through illness, dying, death and bereavement.
Allan Kellehear describes it beautifully, he says, "A city is not merely a place to work and access services but equally a place to enjoy support in the safety and protection of each other's company, in schools, workplaces, places of worship and recreation, in cultural forums and social networks anywhere within the City's influence even to the end of our days."
Head to our Compassionate Communities Charter webpage for more info here
To view the Compassionate Cities Charter and report, click on the links below.
Compassionate City Charter
Compassionate City Charter Report
WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities
In December 2024 Albany was accepted into the World Health Organization's Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities!
The WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities was established in 2010 to connect cities, communities and organisations worldwide with the common vision of making their community a great place to grow old in. As a response to global population ageing and rapid urbanisation, it focuses on action at the local level that fosters the full participation of older people in community life and promotes healthy and active ageing. Albany joins the City of Fremantle, City of Wanneroo, City of Cockburn, City of Melville, and the City of Rockingham to become the 6th Local Government in WA to join the network, and the only one not in the Metro area.
The mission of the Network is to stimulate and enable cities and communities around the world to become increasingly age-friendly. The Network seeks to do this by:
- inspiring change by showing what can be done and how it can be done,
- connecting cities and communities worldwide to facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge and experience; and
- supporting cities and communities to find appropriate innovative and evidence-based solutions.
Membership to the Network is not an accreditation for age-friendliness. Rather, it reflects cities’ commitment to listen to the needs of their ageing population, assess and monitor their age-friendliness and work collaboratively with older people and across sectors to create age-friendly physical and social environments. Membership is also a commitment to share experience, achievements and lessons learnt with other cities and communities.
Being a member of the Network, the City of Albany will be able to learn and share best practices for age-friendly initiatives across the World.
The City of Albany’s page on the WHO Global Network can be viewed here