News

National Older Persons Reference Group member Gwenda Darling. If I hadn’t handed in my driver’s licence, it would have been taken off me. A few weeks earlier, I had been sitting at a set of traffic lights. I saw the… Read More »Without a licence, you are trapped

Montana Manning cared for her husband, Stanley, for 15 years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. But as the progressive condition worsened, she found she could no longer support him at home. Reluctantly, Montana and Stanley decided it was time for… Read More »Montana feared she would lose her home

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) members provided 36,904 instances of information and advocacy support to older people, their families and representatives in the 2022-23 financial year representing a 36 per cent increase from the previous year. Poor communication and lack of choice and control are the… Read More »New report exposes key issues facing older people

Lorraine Etherton and Simone Nannetti were introduced through the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS), but they quickly became firm friends. ‘We just clicked,’ Simone says. A former businesswoman and carer, she had become socially isolated after separating from her… Read More »Friends a perfect match

A joint OPAN and Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) discussion paper released today, Supports for Older People with Disability, highlights the failure of the current policy ecosystem to provide older people with disability with the same level of care, support and services… Read More »End discrimination against older people with disability

An Australian Human Rights Act will make an explicit universal statement, that reaffirms that older persons are entitled to human rights and fundamental freedoms on the same basis as everyone else, OPAN CEO Craig Gear has told the Federal Inquiry into… Read More »Human Rights Act to better protect older people

OPAN and COTA Australia were thrilled – and a little humbled – by the enthusiastic response to our consultation forums on the future of aged care. Almost 4,000 people registered for these events across Australia. Older people, their families, advocates, and others… Read More »Aged care consultations – it’s a wrap!

OPAN welcomes the release of new accommodation guidelines which support an older person’s right to live in a homelike environment with access to the outdoors and connections to the broader community. ‘Older people and their families have been calling for the deinstitutionalisation… Read More »New design guide for aged care homes

Voting in the upcoming referendum is compulsory for all eligible Australians – including older people. There is no upper age limit, so unless you have an exemption, you are required to vote. How do I vote in a referendum? To… Read More »Voting as an older person in a referendum

Choice and flexibility are the main reasons Lesley Forster chooses to self-manage her home care package. ‘It’s incredibly hard to find the right provider, especially when you have complex needs,’ she says. ‘And when you live in the country, like… Read More »Lesley takes control of her aged care