The Allocated Budget of $7.3 Million: Is it Enough to Relocate Young Individuals from Aged Care Home

Three years ago, Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed to resolve the predicament of young people with disabilities residing in nursing homes. The government devised a comprehensive strategy, with a commitment to transitioning all young individuals out of aged care facilities by 2025.

Recently, Minister Bill Shorten, responsible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), affirmed that achieving this goal remains an absolute priority. The budget for 2023-24 allocates A$7+ million to "further decrease the number of individuals under 65 residing in residential aged care."

Despite the federal government's expenditure of over $50 million on initiatives since 2020, there has been limited improvement in the lives of young people residing in aged care or those at risk of entering such facilities.

Considering the lack of progress thus far, it is doubtful that the three new initiatives funded through this commitment will succeed in achieving the objective of eliminating young Australians from facilities intended for much older individuals by 2025.

Why do young individuals end up in aged care facilities?

Typically, younger people are admitted to aged care facilities when they experience a late-onset disability like a brain injury or when their condition deteriorates due to a neurodegenerative disease such as multiple sclerosis.

Around two-thirds of younger individuals transition to residential aged care from hospitals. In some cases, returning to their previous homes is not feasible due to a lack of accessibility or their need for extensive support.

While Australians under the age of 65 with severe disabilities are eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which provides funding for housing and support, the processes involved can be slow. As a result, young people often fall through the cracks between the health and disability systems and end up in aged care facilities.

A recent analysis focused on the pathways into and out of aged care during the 2021-22 period. The findings reveal a declining number of young people entering residential aged care each year.

In June 2022, there were 2,934 younger individuals residing in aged care facilities, a decrease from 3,899 in June 2021. Throughout the year, there were 553 new admissions.

On the other hand, 1,518 individuals left aged care, primarily due to either reaching the age of 65 and "ageing out" or passing away.

The pathways followed by young people in the residential aged care cohort during 2021-22 are worth noting. Only a mere 3% of individuals transitioned to Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). This highlights the scarcity of suitable disability housing options.

Approximately 3,000 vacancies exist in disability housing across Australia, with 1,000 newly constructed specialist disability accommodations available.

However, during the previous financial year, only 39 young people made the transition from residential aged care to NDIS-funded specialist disability accommodation. More than 500 NDIS participants under the age of 65 continue to reside in aged care facilities with the aim of finding alternative housing.

Therefore, while the number of young people residing in residential aged care is decreasing, it does not necessarily mean that they are successfully securing alternative accommodation.

What hasn't been effective so far?

Since 2020, the federal government has implemented various initiatives with limited success.

A program with a budget of $29.5 million was launched to provide coordinators who could assist younger individuals in transitioning out of or avoiding residential aged care.

However, this program has not achieved its objectives. During a recent public forum, it was reported that only two younger individuals were supported in leaving aged care, and approximately 80 young people in residential aged care became participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

To enhance the services, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), responsible for administering the NDIS, has introduced specialist planners and an accommodation matching team.

Despite these efforts, the team has achieved limited success, with fewer than 90 young people in residential aged care transitioning into disability housing that meets modern standards in 2022.