Good morning. I start by acknowledging the Kaurna people as the traditional owners of the land we’re gathered on today. And thank you to Robert Taylor for the wonderful Welcome to Country that he delivered earlier.
Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today, as we mark the first year of the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme, and highlight the great legacy of its predecessor the Community Visitors Scheme.
These schemes have been key to connecting volunteers with older people, and combatting the social isolation and loneliness that we know affects too many Australians.
It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate this with all of you, and to mark the very special roles you play in helping these schemes to succeed.
You are a valued part of the aged care sector and of your communities.
Your work immeasurably improves people’s lives – it is something you can be proud of – and we are keen to see you continue to make an impact for many years to come.
I know in every community across our country there are dedicated workers, volunteers and advocates who are supporting older people, whether this be in the community, in the home, in healthcare settings or in aged care.
All of us in this room understand how critical these people are to our country – and they will only become more important as our population ages.
In particular volunteers – people who generously give their time, energy and interest to helping others.
Volunteering is one of the cornerstones of civic participation in Australia, it’s how people give back.
One of the privileges of my role is that I get to travel around the country hearing directly from older Australians, aged care workers, and volunteers about their experiences, their ideas and their challenges.
This time last week I was in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, visiting an aged care facility in Emu Plains.
There, as in so many facilities, volunteers are bringing skills, ideas, connection and company for residents.
In Emu Plains I was even told they had a volunteer who moved through the common areas playing the squeeze box… a unique skill indeed!
And it’s clear from talking with older people in aged care settings how much they value the friendships they have with the volunteers who spend time with them.
Our government has recognised that across the board we need more volunteers.
Formal volunteering in Australia has been declining since 2010 and dropped sharply in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.
83% of volunteer-involving organisations say they need more volunteers.
It’s a real challenge that our government sees and is working to address through the National Strategy for Volunteering, a 10-year blueprint for a reimagined future for volunteering in Australia.
Earlier this month we launched ‘Hanging out to help out’, a new volunteering awareness campaign aimed at showing younger people the value of volunteering, and supporting organisations like those in the room today.
Intergenerational connections are such an important part of building and strengthening our sense of community.
They’re a highlight for older people, particularly those who may not have family nearby, but I would also argue they are valuable for younger people too.
I always say I don’t want to fall into or perpetuate generational stereotypes (there’s enough of those flying around), but I do think there is value when you are young in having the opportunity to gain an understanding of what the trajectory of a good life can be.
It can put some things into perspective, and it helps both younger and older Australians gain new connections.
Harking back to those intergenerational benefits I was talking about. I spent some time volunteering at an aged care home in high school… approximately 30 years ago, give or take a few.
I was paired with an older person and got to know them.
I can credit this experience to expanding my awareness at a young age of how important social connection is for older people, and as one of the many factors that led me to want to continue to build community connections.
For the past 30 years, volunteers have been donating their time to visit people in care through the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme and its predecessor scheme.
The new scheme was established in July last year and provides funding to 139 community organisations to recruit, train and support volunteers to regularly visit socially isolated older people receiving Australian Government subsidised aged care services.
I understand that almost every single one of these organisations will be here at this conference to celebrate the work of your volunteers and collaborate on how you all collectively deliver the Scheme in your communities. Again, thank you for all you do.
The government has funded this scheme with $99.84 million from 2023 to 2026.
In the first year of the scheme, volunteers provided visits to 19,575 older people.
That’s an incredible commitment and we know it’s making a real difference.
Study after study has shown that there is a connection between regular and meaningful social interaction and overall wellbeing, happiness, stress reduction, and even increased lifespan.
Combating social isolation is a key government priority when it comes to improving the experience of older people in aged care.
I’ve been hearing some great stories from the scheme – a demonstration of the dedication of volunteers and the incredible connections they make with the older people they support.
Just one of these stories that I wanted to share today is that of Rita and Gisa — 2 European migrants who have formed a strong bond in Australia.
Rita is originally from Spain and has been visiting Gisa, an older Italian woman in care in Western Australia, every Tuesday for years now.
The 2 have become fast friends, sharing laughter, stories and joy and uplifting Rita’s enjoyment of life and sense of wellbeing.
Rita says that Gisa has imparted meaningful life lessons to her about the importance of maintaining grace and good humour in the face of life’s trials.
But what Rita really enjoys are Gisa’s stories. One that always stands out to her is the time Gisa decided to cut her own hair at age 12, resulting in an unexpected haircut that left her giggling.
And this is what it is all about – warmth and social connection.
Like all of you in this room, I am deeply committed to ensuring older Australians age with dignity, in the way that works for them, and with their rights at the forefront.
And I know many of you are keenly interested in the work of Government in delivering much-needed reform to the aged care sector.
Over the last 2-and-a-half years we’ve taken important steps forward:
- ensuring aged care workers – most of whom are women – are better paid, with a record $15.1 billion pay rise
- putting nurses back into nursing homes
- delivering millions of additional care minutes to residents
- transparency & accountability through Star Ratings and Dollars to Care.
It’s now been several years since the Royal Commission, and I’m pleased that our government is on the cusp of delivering a new Aged Care Act.
This is once in a generation reform that will shape the way we support people to live independently and with dignity as they age.
1.4 million Australians will benefit from a new Support at Home program by 2035, helping them remain independent, in their home and their community for longer.
This $4.3 billion new home care program will come into effect from July 2025 and will reduce wait times for in-home care with a target of three months by July 2027.
I know our government and the department are keenly invested in working alongside you all as we introduce these reforms, and what it means for aged care in your communities.
Thank you to the many Department of Health and Aged care staff here today who do work so hard on the visitors scheme.
All of us here in this room will have a different experience of ageing, based on factors both within and beyond our control.
But what we have in common is that we want to age well, feel financially secure, and live in communities that meet our needs and respect our rights.
This is what older Australians want – and expect – today, and what we, as a government, are working to deliver: an Australia where everyone is entitled to respect, dignity and the opportunity to participate in the social, cultural and economic life of our nation.
Volunteers play such an important part in keeping older people socially engaged and connected to contemporary Australian life.
You have our thanks as a government for all that you do.
Thank you.