National Seniors Australia will present the findings of a survey of more than 5,000 Seniors at the Australian Health Care Week’s VIP Age Care Summit in Sydney today.
National Seniors CEO and Director of Research, Professor John McCallum (pictured) says he will be taking the opportunity to tell the meeting of aged care providers and consumer groups what older Australians want to see in future aged care.
“The survey gives providers a road map on how they can turn their care facilities into a greater asset through reform and innovation,” said Professor McCallum.
He says he will explain to the Summit that the research found almost half of respondents answered “older Australians” when asked about who should be involved in helping design a future aged care model.
“There are several reasons for this,” Professor McCallum said. “Seniors have the expertise and the wisdom in this field according to our respondents, and they are also the most affected by the outcome.”
The survey also found that respondents who said older Australians should be included in helping co- design aged care should be involved in every aspect from the ground up.
“That includes critical parts such as food, staffing and social activities,” said Professor McCallum.
However, while the majority of older Australians were in favour of co-design, the survey found a third were unsure about the concept or wary of the term if it was a government project.
“Our members told us it was akin to ‘government waffle’ or ‘bureaucratic speak’.
The survey was conducted in 2021 and was open to all Australians over the age of 50. It received 5,430 responses.
