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September 2022

Younger people in residential aged care – Progress towards Government targets
Tags: residential aged care (RAC), YPIRAC
Description:
A nursing home is no place for someone under 65 to live. The government’s focus on the issue of younger people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) is welcome, but the problem isn’t solved yet.
According to new data, there are still 3,163 younger people in aged care, and on average they’ve been stuck there for 4.9 years. Another 30 people under 65 enter each month. Two government targets aiming to solve the problem are due in December, but meeting them can’t be taken for granted.

August 2022

Do young people with neurological conditions in residential aged care use hospitals differently than those in the community? Evidence from Victorian hospital data, 2014–2017
Tags: residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
This study describes the duration and reasons for hospitalisation for three cohorts of younger adults with neurological conditions who either used residential aged care (RAC) or lived in the community. Hospitalisations as a clinical event indicate conditions for which younger people in RAC may need support as they move into community-based housing.

June 2022

Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 1: Interviews with professionals
Tags: housing, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
People with Huntington’s disease require high levels of specialised care in order for them to manage daily living tasks. Specialised housing for people with Huntington’s disease in Australia is limited. This is in part due to a lack of funding and in part due to a lack of appropriate facilities. For many people, this means that their only option is to live in residential aged care (RAC). Living in RAC is generally not appropriate given that the environment often has a lack of age-appropriate activities, and social interaction.
Citation:
Cubis, L., McDonald, S., Winkler, D., Douglas, J. (2022). Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 1: Interviews with professionals. Summer Foundation and La Trobe University.

June 2022
Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 2: Interviews with close others
Tags: housing, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
People with Huntington’s disease require high levels of specialised care in order for them to manage daily living tasks. Specialised housing for people with Huntington’s disease in Australia is limited. This is in part due to a lack of funding and in part due to a lack of appropriate facilities. For many people, this means that their only option is to live in residential aged care (RAC). Living in RAC is generally not appropriate given that the environment often has a lack of age-appropriate activities, and social interaction.
Citation:
Cubis, L., McDonald, S., Winkler, D., Douglas, J. (2022). Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 2: Interviews with close others. Summer Foundation and La Trobe University.

March 2022
Collaborative Support Approach: Working together to help young people leave aged care
Tags: health professional, residential aged care (RAC), support coordinator
Description:
The Collaborative Support Approach Tool outlines the cooperation between Residential Aged Care staff, Support Coordinators, Allied Health Professionals and other stakeholders, working together to assist a younger person leave aged care.
This tool details the tasks and responsibilities – the “who does what” when assisting a younger person to leave RAC and live in the community.
This resource will be useful to RAC, NDIS providers and other stakeholders working at this interface.

January 2022
Andrew’s story – What life is like in aged care
Tags: nursing home, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
Andrew tells us what life is like for him as a young person living in aged care and what the barriers are for him to leave aged care.

September 2021
Young people in residential aged care: Is Australia on track to meet its targets?
Tags: residential aged care (RAC), YPIRAC
Description:
Governments have long aimed to reduce admissions of young people to residential aged care (RAC), but in 2019, for the first time, the Australian Government adopted target dates for resolving the issue through the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Strategy. The targets include:
- no people under the age of 65 entering residential aged care by 2022
- no people under the age of 45 living in residential aged care by 2022
- no people under the age of 65 living in residential aged care by 2025
This study drew on quarterly data from the National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse to examine progress toward these targets. It finds that significant progress was evident in terms of young people entering RAC, as admissions reduced each quarter between September 2018 and July 2020, halving over two years. However, no progress was evident in terms of young people leaving RAC for better arrangements, as the trend neither increased nor decreased. This paper discusses these trends and also prospects for achieving the Australian Government’s targets.
Citation:
Brown, M., Condi, A., Davis, E., Goodwin, I., Winkler, D., & Douglas, J. (2021). Young people in residential aged care: Is Australia on track to meet its targets? Australian Journal of Social Issues

March 2021

Young People in Residential Aged Care in Australia, 2019 – 2020
Tags: residential aged care (RAC), YPIRAC
Description:
This report utilises the available administrative data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and the NDIA to describe the characteristics and geographical distribution of young people in permanent residential aged care (RAC) in Australia in 2019-2020. It finds that as at 30 June 2020, 4,860 people under 65 years, including 130 people under 45 years, were living in permanent RAC. They accounted for 2.6% and 0.1%, respectively, of all residents in permanent RAC. The number of young people under 65 years residing in permanent RAC decreased by 13.3% compared to 12 months prior.
Citation:
Bishop, G.M., Mulherin, P., & Winkler, D. (2021). Young people in residential aged care in Australia, 2019-2020. Summer Foundation.

December 2019
Lisa is moving out of aged care
Tags: accessible housing, NDIS, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), royal commission, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Lisa has lived in a nursing home for about 6 years. Her main goal was to get of the nursing home. Lisa shares how it feels to be preparing to move into an SDA apartment.

September 2019
How to fill out the NDIS Access Request Form
Tags: access request, NDIS plan, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
If you are working in a residential aged care facility, or a health service, you might be supporting a person with disability to submit this NDIS access request. This resource is designed to help.

September 2019
Voices Royal Commission need to hear
Tags: nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), royal commission, submission
Description:
Learn why the Aged Care Royal Commission needs to hear the
experiences of younger people who have experience living
in aged care, or who are at risk of going into aged care.
Listen to workshop participants as they tell their stories.

September 2019
True stories, Practical Solutions – Submission to the Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety
Tags: nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), royal commission, submission
Description:
The submission identifies the key policy and systemic changes needed to stop young people being forced into aged care. It covers what needs to change and how it can happen.

August 2018
Chris’s aged care story
Tags: hospital discharge, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
Two and half years ago Chris was hospitalised. Chris knew he couldn’t return to his home in Launceston, he wanted to move closer to his parents on the north west coast of Tasmania. With no choices this would mean living in a nursing home.

July 2018
Masoud’s story
Tags: disability support, NDIS, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
The story of the strong bond between brothers. Edris’ main goal for his brother, Masoud, is for him to move out of aged care. Edris is hoping the NDIS will assist with this.

June 2018
Residential aged care costs for NDIS participants
Tags: nursing home, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
The aim of this fact sheet is to describe these line items and to provide RACFs, NDIS plan managers and financial intermediaries with tailored information and guidance for the smooth implementation of this reform.

June 2018
The NDIS and aged care fees
Tags: NDIS plan, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
This information is for people with complex support needs, eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and who are preparing to move into a residential aged care facility (RACF), or are currently living in aged care – as well as their families, supporters, guardians and/or administrators.
This guide explains the different RACF fees and charges and whether or the not the NDIS will include funds in your NDIS Plan to pay them.

June 2018
Sample NDIS plans
Tags: allied health, NDIS, NDIS housing resources, NDIS plan, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), support coordinator
Description:
This guide includes five sample plans for people in differing circumstances with examples of how the NDIS can support participants to exercise choice and control to lead an ordinary life.
These sample plans are to give you a place to start. We have also included a pre-planning tool to help you to develop your own plan so you can keep a record of your planning meeting. Download a Word document version of the Sample NDIS Plans

June 2018
Deborah’s aged care story
Tags: hospital discharge, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
It all started Christmas Eve 2015. Deborah went from thinking about what she was going to cook for Christmas Day, to being in intensive care with all her organs shutting down. That was the beginning of Deborah’s journey into aged care.

March 2018
Michelle’s housing journey
Tags: independence, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
At the age of 19, Michelle suffered an asthma attack and spent nearly two years in a nursing home. This is Michelle’s journey to once again living independently.

November 2016
Vicki Wilkinson: Pathway into a Nursing Home
Tags: health professional, hospital discharge, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), support coordinator
Description:
If Vicki had more health support at crucial times following her injury her four year stay in a nursing home could have been avoided.

February 2015
Senate Inquiry Submission
Tags: nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), submission
Description:
A Federal Government Senate Inquiry into the ‘Adequacy of existing residential care arrangements available for young people with severe physical, mental or intellectual disabilities in Australia was announced in December 2014. The Senate Committee for Community Affairs was interested in hearing from individuals and families about their experiences of RAC.