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Rehoming promises
Young Australians with disability
in aged care are hopeful that
the government’s housing
commitment means real change.
By Dallas Bastian
M
y sense of place in the world
was gone…”
This is the quote from a
younger Australian on entering aged care
that Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher
read out in his keynote address to the
Summer Foundation/Youngcare Get
Building SDA Conference.
There, he committed to supporting the
often-forgotten group to move into more
appropriate housing by 2022.
“It is unacceptable that nearly 6000
younger people – almost 200 under the
age of 45 – live in residential aged care
facilities when many of them should not
need to,” Fletcher said.
While he noted that the Royal
Commission into Aged Care Quality and
Safety has a term of reference to look at
younger people with disability, he added
that the government is determined to start
work now and “to set out a clear direction
for the future”.
“To those with disability aged 45 and
under who are living in residential aged
care today and wish to get out – I say that
we will commit to get that done by the end
of 2022,” Fletcher said. “Our commitment
is that if you wish to leave, you will have
alternative, age-appropriate housing and
supports by 2022 at the latest.”
“
Aged care funding
levels were never
meant to cater to the
often higher needs
of younger people
with disability.
He also made a similar commitment,
albeit delayed by a further three years,
to those between the ages of 46 and
65, but he assured those in that age group
that they would not be ignored between
now and 2025.
The Young People in Nursing Homes
National Alliance welcomed the plan but
was disappointed by the omission of a
funding promise.
National director Dr Bronwyn
Morkham said that while the plan mostly
consolidated existing initiatives, there was
significant scope for it to drive change.
“The numbers of young people in
nursing homes has remained largely
constant at around 6000 for the past
decade, and the introduction of the NDIS,
which everyone thought would be a game-
changer, has made little difference to the
numbers overall,” Morkham said.
She added the group was disappointed
that there was no specific funding to
support the initiatives in the plan.
“The alliance has campaigned for some
time for the NDIS to fund the full support
needs of its participants living in aged care
rather than the scheme relying on standard
aged care funding to meet the sometimes
very complex needs of younger people.
“Aged care funding levels were never
meant to cater to the often higher needs of
younger people with disability, and the initial
refusal of the NDIS to meet the gap between
aged care funding and the real needs of the
person was always a major problem.
“The fact that this action plan signals a
change in funding policy is a very positive
feature, and many younger residents and
their families will be relieved that they can
have their NDIS plans reviewed to address
this gap at last.” ■
agedcareinsite.com.au
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