According to the NDIS quarterly report released this morning, there were 1,433 NDIS participants under 65 living in residential aged care (RAC), as at 31 December 2023.
Solving the issue of young people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) requires targeted efforts to close the door to younger people entering aged care and supporting those currently in aged care to safely leave.
We welcome the proposed eligibility criteria for entry into the aged care system as outlined in the exposure draft for the Bill for the new Aged Care Act. This is a necessary measure in closing the door to younger people entering aged care.
However, more needs to be done to ensure younger people do not unnecessarily enter or get stuck in RAC.
Increased investment into other service sectors is also required to meet the needs of younger people. Younger people in, and at risk of RAC, must have access to a range of safe housing and living alternatives so they can exercise true choice and control over where they live.
Read the Summer Foundation’s submission on the exposure draft of the Bill for the new Aged Care Act.