About the program
NACAP supports older people who receive or are applying for government-subsidised aged care by:
- providing advocacy services
- helping them to understand and access the aged care system
- informing them of their aged care rights
NACAP also educates Australian Government–subsidised aged care service providers about advocacy and aged care rights.
The NACAP service is free, independent and confidential.
If you’re an older person and want to find out more, go to advocacy on the My Aged Care website.
Why it is important
NACAP services are important for older people who:
- do not feel they can negotiate or stand up for their rights
- are not sure how the aged care system works
- need support to resolve issues with their aged care
NACAP advocates can speak on their behalf and help them to make informed decisions.
If you are a provider, NACAP can help you and your staff to understand:
- how advocacy can help you to improve the quality of your aged care services
- the role of advocates in the aged care system
- your rights and responsibilities
- the aged care and consumer rights of the people in your care
- how to support and encourage the use of advocates by people in your care
Support available to providers
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) provides NACAP services across Australia.
Education sessions
You can book education sessions about aged care rights and provider responsibilities for your staff. In some states, you can request tailored education sessions (for a fee) to suit the needs of your organisation.
The sessions are useful for:
- personal care staff
- social support staff
- nursing and allied health staff
- case managers and care coordinators
- quality managers
- volunteers
You can also book education sessions for people in your care.
Online training
OPAN provides aged care advocacy training for aged care workers and service providers.
Talk to Us First training is a series of videos with questionnaires. This training will increase:
- understanding of the advocate’s role
- awareness of how to get advocacy services through OPAN
You must complete the questionnaires to get a certificate of completion.
Find out more
To find out more about the education sessions and online training:
- go to provider education on the OPAN website
- contact OPAN to chat about the needs of your organisation
How it works
The framework guides the NACAP provider on how to deliver NACAP services.
National Aged Care Advocacy Framework
Applying for funding
There are currently no open funding rounds to become a NACAP provider.
We advertise funding rounds on Grant Connect. To get automatic emails about new grant listings, register as a Grant Connect user.
Who we work with
The Older Persons Advocacy Network provides NACAP services across Australia.
The Australian Government funds NACAP under the Aged Care Act 1997.
Resources
A report prepared by Deloitte was commissioned in 2021-22 by the department to look at the current and future demand for NACAP advocacy services, and how they might be provided in the future.
The 2022 Demand study of the National Aged Care Advocacy Program (NACAP)
Contact
Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) contact
