About the program
Aged care homes are not appropriate places for people under the age of 65 years to live. We are working to reduce the number of younger people in aged care homes and help them access alternative, age-appropriate accommodation and supports.
We have significantly reduced the number of younger people living in aged care homes by more than 4,000 people in the past 6 years.
In response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, we are working to make sure only eligible people under the age of 65 are using aged care services.
Eligibility for aged care services
Under the Aged Care Act, access to Australian Government-funded aged care services is limited to people with care needs who are either:
- aged 65 years and over
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and aged 50 years or over
- homeless or at risk of homelessness and aged 50 years or over
- already living in an aged care home or accessing aged care services.
If you are applying because you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, you will need to meet certain requirements before you can access aged care services.
Under 65 and eligible for an aged care needs assessment
If you are under 65 and meet one of the eligible criteria listed above, you will be asked to consider other types of support that might suit you better before you use aged care services. This is required under the Aged Care Act to make sure younger people understand their options and can make an informed choice before accessing aged care.
Navigational support for high or complex care needs
The AFA YPIRAC System Coordinator Program may be able to help if you:
- are under 65
- are eligible for an aged care assessment
- have high‑level or complex care needs that place you at risk of entering residential aged care.
System Coordinators can help you look at other options and services that are more suitable for your age and needs, so you don’t have to go into residential aged care unless you choose to.
Goals
The Australian Government is committed to:
- reducing the number of younger people in residential aged care
- working with younger people who are living in residential aged care to find alternative accommodation.
Meeting our goals
Reducing the number of younger people in residential aged care is complex. It requires commitment and collaboration:
- across the disability, aged care, health and housing sectors
- at all levels of government.
We are taking several actions to help meet this target:
- Ability First Australia (AFA) established a national network of Younger People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) System Coordinators. The coordinators engage with younger people aged under 65 years with disability or complex health conditions, who are living in residential aged care, or in the community, to find suitable accommodation and supports.
- The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports younger NDIS participants to find suitable accommodation and services.
- The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports on progress on reducing the number of younger people living in residential aged care.
- Under the Aged Care Act, there are limited circumstances in which a younger person can access Australian Government-funded aged care services.
Who we work with
To help younger people explore suitable accommodation and other supports (such as personal care or domestic assistance), we work with:
- state and territory governments
- aged care and disability support providers
- NDIS planners
- AFA YPIRAC System Coordinators.
Contact
