Towards more sustainable Community Organisations for Older People

Over the last forty years sustainability theory has been developed as a tool for assessing the health and viability of businesses, communities and organisations (McKenzie 2004). This paper will review emerging concepts of sustainability in the context of small community organisations that provide services to older people. It will identify the measurements and indicators that can be used to assess sustainability in this sector. The second part of the paper will consider several case studies of community organisations for older people in Australia and the United Kingdom. The paper will identify sustainability issues that impact on the operational and long term outcomes of these organisations. The final part of the paper will highlight areas of good practice that allow community based organisations to remain sustainable.