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Dementia care roadmap
Government releases dementia
and aged care research roadmap
for public consultation.
A
ustralians will be able to have
their say on the government’s
$185 million Dementia, Ageing and
Aged Care Mission with the recent release
of a draft roadmap.
The medical research package aims
to help older Australians maintain their
health and quality of life as they age, live
independently for longer, and access
quality care when they need it. The funding
will be invested from 2018–19 to 2028–29.
Those interested will be able to sound
off on the mission’s goals, guiding
principles and priorities, as well as the areas
of research they would prefer to see.
New code of conduct
Retirement village operators called on to sign
new code to safeguard residents’ interests
and ensure quality services.
A
ustralia’s retirement village operators are being encouraged
to sign up to the new Retirement Living Code of Conduct,
which aims to safeguard the interests of current and future
retirement residents.
Around 1000 retirement villages have already preregistered to
participate in the code of conduct since it was brought into effect
on 1 January, according to the Property Council of Australia (PCA)
and Leading Age Services Australia (LASA).
Hailing it as a “new era of quality assurance”, the council said the
code, which is the sector’s self-assessment tool, supports the new
Australian Retirement Village Accreditation Scheme (ARVAS) and
“forms a robust quality framework for the operation of Australia’s
approximately 2300 retirement communities”.
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agedcareinsite.com.au
In a statement, Minister for Health
Greg Hunt said the consultation will help
the government as it seeks to prioritise
funding for critical dementia and aged
care research.
“Greater research into dementia is vital,
but it’s important to ensure the research
is targeted to have the greatest impact,”
Hunt said.
“I encourage Australians to jump on
the website, read the draft roadmap and
provide advice, so we have a greater
understanding of what research is
required.”
The University of Queensland’s Clem
Jones Centre for Ageing and Dementia
Research was the first to benefit from the
mission, after it was awarded $10 million
for its Breaking Through Dementia
project.
Upcoming grant opportunities are
scheduled to open in early 2020.
Funding for the mission was made
available through the Medical Research
Future Fund, a long-term investment
supporting Australian health and medical
research. ■
Operating since October last year, ARVAS has been driven
and is co‑owned by the two key organisations representing the
retirement living sector, the PCA and LASA, and operated on their
behalf by Quality Innovation Performance (QIP), a not-for-profit
provider of independent accreditation services.
Any organisation wishing to apply for accreditation under
ARVAS must be an active subscriber to the Retirement Living
Code of Conduct.
LASA chief executive Sean Rooney said the code of conduct,
along with the new accreditation scheme, provides assurance to
retirees, seniors and their families.
“It’s about safeguarding the interests of residents and delivering
quality services so people can have confidence in their future and
age well.
“This scheme sets new standards and has widespread industry
support, highlighting the strong commitment of operators to help
ensure the best retirement living standards for older Australians.”
Ben Myers, executive director (retirement living) at the Property
Council, said people thinking of making the move to a retirement
community should inquire if their potential future home has
signed up to the Retirement Living Code of Conduct.
“A retirement community that signs up for the code of conduct
is demonstrating its commitment to high standards across its
accommodation, services, management, sales and marketing,”
Myers said.
“A growing number of Australians will be seeking a retirement
community to call home and communities signed up to the code
will be able to stand out.”
The Retirement Living Code of Conduct Review Panel, chaired
by Dr Elizabeth Lanyon, will undertake independent oversight,
monitoring and review of the code, its content and matters
referred to it by the code administrator. ■