Political flavour to this year’s aged care open day
Aged care provider peak Aged and Community Services Australia is calling on its members to invite local politicians to this week’s aged care open day events to discuss the impact of recent funding cuts.
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Aged care providers across Australia are set to open their doors and welcome the public into facilities on Friday 17 June for the third ACSA National Open Day.
The now international movement aims to promote community understanding and involvement with the care of the elderly and awareness of the services offered by facilities in their particular area.
ACSA CEO Adjunct Professor John Kelly said Australian aged care providers had embraced this chance to showcase their facilities and help dispel many of the stereotypes associated with old age and disability.
“They want to involve the whole community – from school children to people contemplating a major change to the way they currently live – and the National Open Day provides the perfect opportunity,” Adjunct Professor Kelly said.
John Kelly
He said the day had evolved into an event with real impact and quantifiable results, which included 212 aged care providers registered on the open day website in 2015.
Events at previous open days have included BBQs, morning teas, picnics, cake stalls, fetes, fancy dress parties, treasure hunts and carnival rides for children.
Many participating facilities invited guest speakers, health professionals and therapists to share their insights on ageing, while others used the opportunity to speak directly to families contemplating a transition in their own lives as well as community stakeholders, Professor Kelly said.
This year, as part of its election lobbying, ACSA has told members the open day was an also opportunity to invite local candidates to their facilities and outline the sector’s campaign’s key issues, such as the significant concern over the impact of the December and May cuts to the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI).
Provider plans
Emmerton Park aged care home in Tasmania had added a political agenda to its open day activities as well as providing members of the public opportunities to tour the site and hear about policy issues and future service plans.
The organisation had invited several House of Representatives and Senate candidates to participate in Q and A session on issues of concern for the aged care industry, a spokesperson from Emmerton told AAA.
Elsewhere, Juniper Carramar in WA reported it was having an open morning where the public is invited to join residents for fun activities and morning tea and look around the facility and chat to staff and residents.
And Uniting Far West in Broken Hill was hosting an information day to increase community awareness and promote healthy living for seniors, home care and aged care housing assistance programs. As part of the day’s activities, they would offer door prizes, information packs, tea, coffee and morning tea.