Ita Buttrose awarded Australian of the Year, 2013
Ita Buttrose, journalist, industry leader, and campaigner for the needs and rights of older Australians, has been named Australian of the Year for 2013. She was presented with the award by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, in a ceremony at Parliament House.
Famous for the career she forged, a women in a man’s world, going right to the top of the media industry; perhaps more importantly, she has become a powerful voice for Australian seniors.
Ita Buttrose – President, Alzheimers Australia
She is National President of Alzheimers’ Australia and Vice-President Emeritus of Arthritis Australia. She is also working to raise awareness of breast cancer, prostate cancer and HIV/AIDS.
Ms Buttrose intends to use her title in her aim to reverse ageist attitudes in our society. “Just because you’re old, doesn’t mean you’re not a person”, she says.
Respectful treatment for Elderly People and Seniors
She is fighting to win better and more respectful treatment for elderly people, including making sure they are consulted in decisions that affect them. Also, she is working to get rid of the stigma attached to dementia.
Buttrose believes that older people deserve better than the “herding” treatment they often are given – forced to accept nursing home timetables and menus regardless of their own feelings or needs.
She is also a strong advocate of adopting preventative health strategies to combat chronic diseases such as dementia, macular degeneration, arthritis and diabetes.
The importance of helping others in our community had been instilled in Ita from a very young age by her parents. She later went on to help care for her father, who struggled with dementia.
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