More than 12,000 people have signed a petition calling for minimum accessibility standards in new homes to meet the needs of all Australians.
Building Better Homes
The Summer Foundation and La Trobe University has conducted national surveys of people with mobility impairment and occupational therapists (OTs) about housing accessibility features.
Without effective support coordination it can be difficult for younger people with high and complex needs to avoid or exit residential aged care (RAC).
A brutal assault in 2003 robbed James of his active life and studies. At 21, he was forced to live in aged care for nearly 7 years before a TV interview set his path to independent living in Specialist Disability Accommodation – first in NSW and now in Melbourne.
The Summer Foundation’s policy team has released a position statement on Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) eligibility, funding and quality.
Source: ABC Radio National with Fran Kelly | Reporter: Eleni Psaltis | Image: James Hancock
Currently there are more than 4,300 younger Australians living in an aged care facility; most of them are with disability.
But the Aged Care Royal Commission says by 2025, no one under the age of 65 should be in these facilities.
Featured:
Carol Littley, mother of Kirby Littley who lived in an aged care facility in her twenties
Dr Bronwyn Morkham, National Director of the Young People in Nursing Homes National Alliance
Stuart Robert, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Richard Colbeck, Aged Care Services Minister
Dr Di Winkler, Summer Foundation CEO
Lisa Corcoran, former aged care resident