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COTA Victoria is pleased to have made a submission to the Victorian Government’s Inquiry into Women’s Pain. We welcome the commitment to a targeted and holistic approach to pain as part of the Victorian Women’s Health program and urge government to ensure that this incorporates a specific focus on older women’s experiences of pain and the need for age-appropriate opportunities for preventing and managing chronic pain.
Our submission draws attention to ways in which age- and gender-based biases in the health system combine to create barriers to effective pain management for older women. This builds on previous advocacy by COTA Victoria in regard to healthcare for older Victorians. We make a total of 10 specific recommendations for improvement across the spectrum from medical treatment to social support in the community.
A key input to our submission was an online survey we conducted in February-March 2024 that generated 75 responses from older women willing to share their own experiences and suggestions. A separate members briefing on the findings of the survey can be found here.