News

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2023 is ‘For Our Elders’, acknowledging the respected role older people play within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. But when it comes to health and aged care services, however, the research tells us First… Read More »Stigma, fear and geography among barriers to First Nations aged care

Dr Kay Patterson with (from left to right) Sara Blunt (CEO, James Brown Memorial Trust), Carolanne Barkla (CEO, Aged Rights Advocacy Service), Anne Burgess (Chairperson, Council of Elders) and Craig Gear (CEO, OPAN) at a farewell event in Adelaide hosted… Read More »Commissioner a powerful advocate for older people

OPAN received almost 1400 calls about abuse in the six months to March 2023. Abuse of older people can take many forms and is not always obvious. It may be psychological, emotional, physical, sexual, financial, or due to neglect. The… Read More »How to protect yourself from harm

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has welcomed the Aged Care Reform Roadmap released today by the Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells. ‘Older people need to know what changes are coming, when those changes are coming, and how those… Read More »OPAN backs aged care roadmap and taskforce

As the peak body representing older people’s interests in the aged care sector, OPAN is committed to strong leadership on reconciliation. Today we publish our Statement of Intent, which sets out the vision for our Reflect RAP, which has been… Read More »Looking to the future of reconciliation

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders often find it hard to access the same level of support as other Australians. ‘There may be barriers like a language barrier, or a cultural barrier,’ says Elsja Dewis, one of 10 specialist advocates… Read More »Respecting the cultural needs of Elders

Maggie Beer has been a passionate voice for better food and nutrition in residential aged care for almost a decade. ‘Of course, there is a long way to go,’ she says. Ahead of our upcoming webinar – Food, glorious food: and… Read More »We’ll show you what’s possible: Maggie Beer

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has welcomed the Federal Government’s $36 billion investment towards aged care reform in the 2023 Budget. “We are pleased to see the continued commitment to a rights-based approach as we build towards a new… Read More »Budget 2023 – Aged care reform

The best way to avoid premature entry into residential aged care, says ADA Australia advocate Nicky Adjei, is to plan ahead. ‘My key piece of advice to older people is: “be prepared”. That includes knowing your rights – and your… Read More »Don’t wait for a crisis

Theresa Flavin will share her own burning sense of urgency with the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OWEGA) in New York this week. ‘I have perhaps another four years living in the community,’ said the advocate and activist, who… Read More »Time is running out, dementia advocate tells UN