Researchers at Charles Sturt University (CSU) seek volunteers aged over 70 to help answer a fundamental question about ageing in the Blayney region.

The research team asks, 'What skills, resources and positive strategies are required by people as they age in rural communities in the central west region of NSW?'.

The NSW Department of Family and Community Services is funding the exploratory study by the Rural Resilience Research Group located at CSU in Bathurst.

Chief investigator for the project, Dr Ann Lazarsfeld-Jensen, said, "The project will look at the ways rural people make decisions and find strategies to stay in their community and age well.

"We are interested in the character and motivations of those who are ageing in an area of the state that is somewhat remote from standard services.

"The research team would like to make contact with many people who are ageing and who have demonstrated resilience. We would like to interview them to find if there are any common elements that might be useful in future policy development for ageing rural communities."

The CSU research team is led by Dr Ann Lazarsfeld-Jensen, senior lecturer in sociology and biomedical ethics in the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences. The team includes Dr Donald Alexander, Ms Margie Adams and Ms Vianne Tourle.

Once the researchers have a cohort of possible participants, they will contact the research volunteers to schedule in-depth interviews, using ethical research practices.

The research team is also interested in historical photos or records of events that show aspects of resilience living in a regional community.

The research has CSU Ethics Committee approval.

The research interviews will remain confidential to the researchers. Participants' comments and ideas will be de-identified. The material will be summarised for academic journal articles, and for reports to the funding group as well as Blayney Shire Council and the Blayney community.

To participate in the research, or to gain more information, please contact Ms Vianne Tourle on (02) 6338 4953 or email vtourle@csu.edu.au