080 Chapter 6 Conclusion I’m thankful for the supports and the social welfare that are available for older people. I also find that people are generally respectful towards older people. I’m thankful for Medicare. As you get older, you do have more health needs but there are things that Medicare doesn’t cover. Many older people don’t have the ability or the resources to pay for treatments that are not covered by Medicare. This is worrying. Some older migrants, especially the ones who haven’t been in Australia for very long, miss out on necessary supports and services. There are also people who have been living in Australia for a long time but don’t qualify for government-funded services because of visa rules. Unlike younger people who are able to work to generate an income, many older people aren’t able to work and need to rely on government support. I think there should be special consideration given to older migrants who have been in Australia for a long time, but their visa status prevents them from accessing social services. —Anna, 80