We want to hear your experiences of living in regional South Australia — tell us how you maintain social connections and how you and your community respond to major events.
The Plug-in is supported by Office for Ageing Well and Wellbeing SA to undertake research exploring what makes a difference to your community’s sense of connectedness and wellbeing. We are hosting focus groups and phone interviews to ask people to share their story as part of the two projects.
Click on the link below to register your interest to participate in a focus group or phone interview.
Project 1 — Tell us what makes it easier or harder for you to stay social and connected with your community as you get older
For some older people, staying connected to their social circle or wider community is a challenge. We want to talk to a wide range of older South Australians to understand how you successfully connect with others in your community and what gets in the way of making social connections — this includes connections for friendship, but also with neighbours and acquaintances in community settings.
As part of this project we want to talk to people who live in or around Clare, Port Pirie, Robe, Victor Harbor and Whyalla.
Project 2 — Have you been affected by major social, economic and environmental events?
We want to learn about your experiences over the past few years, what major events you have experienced, and how you and your community have responded to and worked through the impacts they had on your everyday life. For example, these may include natural disasters such as bushfire and drought, and the economic and social changes that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of this project we want to talk to people who live in or around Kadina, Peterborough, Strathalbyn, Tanunda and Whyalla.
Why these projects are important
The findings of this study will inform local programs in your area and be shared with decision-makers in state and local government, local health networks, not-for-profit organisations and other service providers with the intent of improving everyday life for older South Australians.
Your contribution will help them to better understand your needs and the needs of others like you.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible to participate in these projects, you must be aged 50 years and live in or around one the following locations: Clare, Kadina, Peterborough, Port Pirie, Robe, Strathalbyn, Tanunda, Victor Harbor and Whyalla.
What’s involved?
There are two ways to participate:
- A focus group is a casual discussion with 6-8 people held in your town.
- One-on-one interviews are held with a researcher over the phone at a time convenient for you.
Click on the link below to register your interest to participate in a focus group or a phone interview.
You can also express your interest by contacting The Plug-in directly using the contact details below.
Please note: To ensure the safety and welfare of all participants and researchers, we require all focus group attendees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
For further information please contact The Plug-in on (08) 8224 5526 or email connect@theplugin.com.au
The Plug-in is supported by Office for Ageing Well and Wellbeing SA to undertake this research.
