Australians with a disability under 65 remain in aged care

Younger Australians with a disability are still being forced to consider aged care facilities in their search for a place to live, with a delay in the introduction of a new Aged Care Act and several missed targets failing to preclude their entry.

More than 1000 people remain in nursing homes across the country, after the federal government did not meet its commitment to having no people under the age of 65 living in residential aged care by 2025.

One 25-year-old Melbourne woman told the Herald Sun she fears she will have to return to a nursing home when she is next week evicted from her supported disability accommodation due to its closure.

Under the new Aged Care Act, people aged below 65 years can only access government-funded services if they already live in aged care, access its services, are an Indigenous person aged 50 and over, homeless or at risk of homelessness and aged over 50.

It was due to come into force on July 1 but the government has pushed it back until November 1.

Jessica Walker, spokeswoman for disability support group the Summer Foundation, said it was a “national shame” that younger people with disability were still being placed in aged care.

Ms Walker is concerned about the Act’s homelessness provision: “That needs to be watched carefully so it doesn’t act as a bit of a back door to allowing more people in”.

Melbourne woman Jessi, who did not want her surname published, is in a wheelchair and needs around-the-clock care for a neurological disorder and autism.

The 25-year-old says she has been left in limbo amid the impending closure of her disability support accommodation because the NDIS has not approved her request to live in new accommodation with greater support than she has now, with the reasoning it is “not urgent”.

Jessi now faces moving into aged care until the issue is resolved, which she is hesitant about, after living at a facility she claims “barely fed” or washed her for a year-and-a-half until 2023.

She will also no longer be able to cook, garden, or do laundry due to a lack of assistance.

“I’ve got huge concerns about (my) mental health and physical health,” Jessi said.

“I’ll be able to go to work, but will I get there on time? Because they’ve now got 40 residents to all get up at the same time.”

A National Disability Insurance Agency spokesperson said its priority was the safety and welfare of all participants and ensuring they receive the disability-related supports they need.

“Jessica has current funding for Specialist Disability Accommodation that can be used to access a new home,” the spokesperson said.

“The agency is assessing the request for an increase in funding.”

Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said the government was working to ensure that no one under the age of 65 was living in residential aged care by supporting younger Australians to access more age-appropriate services that help them live fuller lives for as long as possible.

“We’ve made significant progress since announcing the Younger People in Residential Aged Care targets, with the number of younger people in residential aged care reduced by more than 4000 to just 1060 in the past five years,” he said.

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Originally published as Australians with a disability under age of 65 remain in aged care