Historic meeting of ministers for ageing/seniors – responding to changing demographics

Practical plans to respond to social isolation among older Australians will be on the agenda when the inaugural Ministerial Conference of Ageing meets today (Friday 13 June).

Aged care homes and community care, dementia, aged care assessments and ways to improve care for people with psycho-geriatric disorders will also be discussed.

The meeting will comprise the relevant federal, state and territory ministers. The New Zealand Minister for Senior Citizens* and the Australian Local Government Association have also been invited. 

It will bring together – for the first time – all of the nation’s ministers responsible for aged care homes, community care and the welfare of our nation’s older citizens.

The establishment of the Ministerial Conference on Ageing was an election commitment and was created in response to the challenges of Australia’s ageing population. 

The Ministerial Conference framework was agreed to by the Council of Australian Government (COAG) on 26 March and will be similar to the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference and the Community and Disability Services Ministers’ Conference.

“This is about planning for Australia’s future and the challenges of the 21st century,”  the Federal Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot, said. 

The meeting will be held on 13 June 2008 in Kingscliff, northern New South Wales – a region with one of the highest proportions of older people in Australia. 

Mrs Elliot said social isolation is a significant issue for Australia’s older population. 

“Years ago, older generations had strong family support networks – but today’s contemporary lifestyles and smaller family structures have changed this. 

“Now, our older Australians often rely on informal support networks. We have to look at innovative ways to combat social isolation.”

So far, the draft agenda includes:

• Responses to Social isolation.  Identification of programs and initiatives to reduce the isolation of older people, especially those in public housing; consideration of the development of a national protocol with work to be done by Commonwealth and state and territory Departmental officials.
  
• Discussion of the progress of the Aged Care Assessment Program.  Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) are a vital gateway for people to get Commonwealth-funded services from aged-care residential beds to packages allowing them to stay longer in their homes and local communities.
  
• Discussion on Home and Community Care Program.  A progress report on the implementation of the new Home and Community Care Agreements and the development and implementation of common arrangements, as well as the outcomes of the forum on restorative care and the implications for future service delivery. 
  
• Continuous improvement in the physical standard of residential care building.  Harmonisation of Commonwealth and state and territory regulations with the aim of reducing the regulatory burden on the industry, while ensuring that accommodation for care recipients is safe, and maintained at the highest standards.
  
• Built environment (age-appropriate housing).  Identify current programs and strategies that promote the adoption of universal design principles; identify future strategies for education programs on the benefits of adaptable design principles.
  
• Aged care and people with psycho-geriatric disorders.  Collaborative approaches to ensure effective integration of primary, acute, specialist and aged care services to ensure appropriate care and support for this client group. (The Government has asked the relevant Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing, Mary Murnane, to consult with experts and providers of psycho-geriatric care).