Recommendations presented today by the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Senior Counsel Assisting, Peter Rozen QC, relating to younger people in aged care, have been warmly welcomed by Youngcare, the Summer Foundation and Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance.
The recommendations, which have been released ahead of the final report by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety include:
assessment by appropriate agencies for any younger person at risk of entering residential aged care
developing hospital discharge protocols to prevent discharge into residential aged care
developing, funding and implementing programs for short-term and long-term accommodation and care options
National Disability Insurance Agency to publish an annual Specialist Disability Accommodation National Plan setting out priority locations and proposed responses to thin markets
providing accommodation in the Specialist Disability Accommodation market
funding advocacy services for younger people who are living in or at risk of entering residential aged care
collecting comprehensive data on an ongoing basis, and publishing data each quarter
having the responsible Minister report to the Parliament every six months about progress towards achieving the announced commitments, and
ensuring that a younger person will only ever live in residential aged care if it is in the demonstrable best interests of the particular person
Youngcare CEO Antony Ryan, said the organisation commends this work to-date and is committed to supporting the recommendations of the Senior Assisting Counsel.
“The Assisting Counsel’s recommendations are vital in supporting the Government’s action plan to ensure no younger person is residing in residential aged care by 2025,” Mr Ryan said.
“Youngcare has always been dedicated to exiting young people from aged care, and avoiding new admissions, we support the presented recommendations wholeheartedly and look forward to the Commission’s final report.”
The Summer Foundation’s Head of Government Relations and Policy, Amelia Condi, said that the Summer Foundation is very pleased with the Assisting Counsel’s recommendations.
“Enabling younger people to live in appropriate accommodation where and with whom they want is essential to their independence,” Ms Condi said.
“The recommendations positively support the work the Summer Foundation has been progressing to support younger people with disability live the life they want.”
While welcoming the call for six monthly progress reports to Parliament on achievement of the YPIRAC targets, Alliance head, Dr Bronwyn Morkham, believes an independent authority should be responsible for these reports, not the relevant Minister.
“The YPIRAC targets give us a once in a generation chance to fix this problem once and for all,” Dr Morkham said.
“It’s vitally important that progress reports not only declare where effort has been successful, but where greater effort is needed.
“An independent authority can do this without fear or favour.”
The full report is available here: https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/Counsel%20Assisting%27s%20final%20submissions.pdf
ENDS.
Media enquiries:
Emma Lloyd
M: 0410 850 579
Dr Bronwyn Morkham
M: 0437 178 078
