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November 2023
Closing the door to younger people entering aged care – Summer Foundation position statement on the proposed new Aged Care Act
Tags: aged care, residential aged care (RAC), YPIRAC
Description:
The Federal Government is developing a new Aged Care Act to replace existing legislation. The Summer Foundation welcomes the proposed change that “apart from First Nations persons, or people at risk of homelessness, no other younger persons will be able to access funded aged care services.”
A sustainable solution to the issue of young people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) requires completely closing the door to aged care for younger people.
These amendments are a vital part of important aged care reforms, as recommended by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Rather than using aged care as the provider of last resort, public money should be put to better use to fix gaps and failures in disability, health and housing service systems and develop alternative pathways that enable people under 65 to live in the community.
November 2023
Inclusive housing – The Summer Foundation position statement on the Disability Royal Commission’s final report
Tags: aged care, residential aged care (RAC), YPIRAC
Description:
Addressing the level and scope of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation evidenced in the Disability Royal Commission’s final report is a monumental task. It is critical that the people with disability who gave so much to the DRC benefit from some quick wins as well as see tangible actions to address some of the more complex and systemic challenges.
The emphasis on inclusive housing and inclusive lives in the final report is welcomed. Social connection and access to the community reduces the risk of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Federal, state and territory governments need to partner with people with disability and the sector to build on existing work and evidence, rather than duplicating efforts. To quote the DRC’s final report, real solutions need to reimagine these systems “in partnership with people with disability, with their voices at the centre of reforms.”
October 2023
Summer Foundation – La Trobe University Research Program 2022/2023
Tags: accessible housing, disability support, hospital discharge, NDIS, YPIRAC
Description:
The enduring research partnership between the Summer Foundation and La Trobe University’s Living with Disability Research Centre is testament to what is possible when rigorous academic methods are applied to real-world problems. The research program at the Summer Foundation is unashamedly ambitious. It needs to be in order to address the manifold challenges experienced by people with disability in Australia today.
Our Research team consists of more than 20 researchers, including experienced academics, clinical experts, research assistants, and doctoral candidates. They come from diverse backgrounds, including psychology, speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and architecture. Together, the team work on more than 20 active projects covering topics as broad as younger people in residential aged care, hospital discharge, the disability housing market, and factors contributing to quality disability support.
This report outlines the research undertaken in 2022/23 as part of the program, our aims and our outputs.
May 2023
Achieving the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Targets
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
In 2019, the coalition government committed to measurable, timebound targets to solve the issue of Younger People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) once and for all.
The aims of this analysis are to:
• Review progress of the current YPIRAC initiative
• Analyse the pathways of younger people into and out of aged care
March 2023
Improving Outcomes for Younger People in Residential Aged Care
Description:
Younger people with disability are not getting the skilled support they need to leave or avoid residential aged care. Active collaboration is needed between all levels of government and the disability sector to ensure no younger person is forced to enter or remain in aged care. Addressing the systemic barriers to good housing and support in the community requires increased understanding of younger people with complex support needs and improved information and support around housing and support options that ensure greater outcomes for people with disability.
February 2023
Solving the issue of YPIRAC – Pre-Budget Submission (2023)
Description:
While the number of younger people entering RAC over the past 2 years has decreased, in the last financial year 497 people under 65 entered aged care. The Morrison Government’s YPIRAC initiative did not create the systemic change needed.
Instead of going to RAC, younger people with disability are getting stuck in hospital for months. Younger people at risk of RAC need timely and skilled support to transition out of hospital into age-appropriate housing.
A solution can be found through access to high quality capacity building and support for NDIS participants. There is inadequate support and information provided to NDIS participants to explore options which meet their needs. There is also insufficient demand activation which inhibits the development of housing and support options for YPIRAC and younger people at risk of RAC.
The Summer Foundation has identified 4 initiatives that will address this gap and together will solve the issue of YPIRAC once and for all, described in Summer Foundation’s Pre-Budget Submission here.
February 2023
YPIRAC Factsheet
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
There are 2934 young people living in aged care. Most will remain there until they die or turn 65. Around 80% of young people in aged care are NDIS participants but only a quarter have a goal to move out.
The government have failed to meet 2022 YPIRAC targets, and more than 30 young people a month are still entering aged care. There continues to be bureaucratic delays around funding for housing and supports. Delays around funding reviews are also contributing to the problem.
Young people in aged care or at risk of aged care need access to professionals with knowledge and expertise across the housing, health and disability sectors who can assist them in navigating the pathway out of hospital, away from aged care and into housing that suits their needs.
December 2022
YPIRAC Factsheet
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
There are 2,934 Australians with disability under 65 living in aged care. The government seems confident that its efforts to get them out will succeed, highlighting the 20% reduction in the number of YPIRAC in the past year. However, this falling number overlooks a grim reality: most YPIRAC do not leave aged care for a better housing situation.
The lower number of YPIRAC is mostly due to people either dying or remaining in aged care until they turn 65, and ‘ageing out’ of the cohort. Furthermore, over 30 younger people are still entering aged care every month. The inefficiencies at the health-disability interface mean it is still easier to discharge people from hospital to aged care than secure NDIS funding for housing.
October 2022
Achieving the YPIRAC Strategy
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
The Federal Government’s Younger People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) Strategy aims to address the systemic issues and barriers that continue to allow younger people (under 65) to enter and remain in RAC. Although progress under the YPIRAC Strategy has been made, systems change is needed to ensure younger people with complex needs have access to the long-term housing and supports they need to live well in the community. Achieving the YPIRAC Strategy requires commitment at all levels of government and the implementation of policy and operational measures that improve the disability/health/housing interface.
October 2022
Preventing and better protecting younger people with complex needs from experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation
Tags: disability support, YPIRAC
Description:
Summer Foundation report to the Disability Royal Commission
There are many younger people with complex needs living in inappropriate settings such as residential aged care (RAC) and hospitals. Recent government inquiries have provided opportunities for defining and measuring progress towards essential reforms. However, more still needs to be done to improve the experiences and outcomes of younger people with complex needs. To help ensure the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) is best placed to drive policy reform that will meaningfully improve outcomes for this cohort, this report summarises the key areas in need of action.
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
Summer Foundation – La Trobe University Research Program 2021/2022
Tags: accessible housing, disability support, hospital discharge, NDIS, YPIRAC
Description:
The Summer Foundation – La Trobe University Research Program is designed to understand the issue of young people in aged care. By researching the issues at each stage of the critical pathways that lead young people to aged care we can provide the evidence needed to create systems change that will solve this problem.
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.
September 2020
A scoping review to explore the experiences and outcomes of younger people with disabilities in residential aged care facilities
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
This review maps the literature on the experiences and outcomes of young people with disability who are placed in aged care, and highlights the negative outcomes young people experience while living in aged care.
Citation:
Oliver, S., Gosden-Kaye, E., Jarman, H,, Winkler. D., & Douglas. J, (2020). A scoping review to explore the experiences and outcomes of younger people with disabilities in residential aged care facilities. Brain Injury
September 2020
Young people in residential aged care (2018-2019): A snapshot
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
This report utilises available administrative data to describe the characteristics and geographical distribution of young people in permanent residential aged care (RAC) in Australia in 2018-2019.
Citation:
Bishop, G., Rinehart, N., & Winkler, D. (2020). Young people in residential aged care (2018-2019): A snapshot. Summer Foundation.
July 2020
Young people in Australian residential aged care: Evaluating trends from 2008 to 2018
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
This paper reports trends in the number of young people entering and exiting aged care. Many more young people are admitted to aged care each year than return to community living, with no sustained change between 2008 and 2018 at the national level.
Citation:
Brown, M., Bishop, G., Winkler, D., & Douglas, J. (2020). Young people in Australian residential aged care: Evaluating trends from 2008 to 2018. Australian Health Review.
August 2019
Young People in Residential Aged Care (2017-2018): A Snapshot
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
This report utilises available administrative data to describe the characteristics and geographical distribution of young people in permanent residential aged care (RAC) in Australia in 2017-2018.
Citation:
Bishop, G., Zail, J., Bo’sher, L., & Winkler, D. (2019). Young people in residential aged care (2017-2018): A snapshot. Summer Foundation.
June 2012
The Victorian younger people in residential aged care initiative: Evaluation of quality of life outcomes
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
This evaluation of quality of life outcomes for Victorian YPIRAC participants demonstrated improvements in quality of life for the majority of service users as well as their family members. This evaluation involved interviews with 68 people with disabilities who had received YPIRAC services.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Holgate, N., Sloan, S., & Callaway, L. (2012). The Victorian younger people in residential aged care initiative: Evaluation of quality of life outcomes. Summer Foundation.
August 2011
Young people in aged care: Progress of the current national program
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
This paper examines the progress and effect of the current 5-year $244 million national Young People in Residential Aged Care program on the reduction of young people in aged care. It highlights the challenges of achieving a long-term reduction in the number of young people in residential aged care, including the challenge of achieving systemic change to prevent new admissions.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Farnworth, L., Sloan, S., & Brown, T. (2011). Young people in aged care: Progress of the current national program. Australian Health Review.
December 2010
People under 50 with acquired brain injury living in residential aged care
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
The aim of this article is to describe the characteristics, needs and preferences of people under 50 with an acquired brain injury living in residential aged care in Victoria and examine implications for service development.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Sloan, S., & Callaway, L. (2010). People under 50 with acquired brain injury living in residential aged care. Brain Impairment.
January 2007
Younger people in residential aged care: Support needs, preferences and future directions
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
As part of the my future my choice initiative in Victoria, people less than 50 years of age living in RAC were offered an individualised planning and assessment process to assist them and their family or key others to consider their specific healthcare and accommodation needs, aspirations and other important lifestyle factors. It provided an opportunity to explore options and consider models of care to best meet each individual’s needs and preferences.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Sloan, S., & Callaway, L. (2007). Younger people in residential aged care: Support needs, preferences and future directions. Summer Foundation.
February 2006
People under 60 living in aged care facilities in Victoria
Tags: YPIRAC
Description:
This article describes the characteristics of people under 60 years of age living in residential aged care in Victoria and examines the occupational participation of younger residents in aged care facilities by measuring their social contact, participation in recreation and community access.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Farnworth, L., & Sloan, S. (2006). People under 60 living in aged care facilities in Victoria. Australian Health Review.