Care finders navigating to nowhere

The term ‘Forgotten Australians’ refers to the estimated half a million children who were placed in institutional or out-of-home ‘care’ in Australia during the 20th century. This group includes Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, as well as child migrants. Many of these individuals are now aged between 40 and 90, and a vast number are getting to the age where entering the aged care system is necessary. This process can be a very challenging one for anyone, but for those with prior negative institutional experience, it is a very re-traumatising prospect. This group is identified as a special needs group under the Aged Care Act as Care Leavers.

Specialisation Verification Framework (SVF)

Prior to the SVF initiative, which commenced on 27 June 2022, 1,025 providers were listed on My Aged Care as delivering specialised care to Care Leavers.

In 2021, the National Aged and Community Care Roundtable for Forgotten Australians (National Roundtable) surveyed a random sample of these providers and found an alarming 100 per cent of those surveyed admitted that they were unfamiliar with the term ‘Care Leaver’ and did not offer specialised services for these special needs groups.

The National Roundtable shared the outcomes of this research with the Department of Health and Aged Care, with unverified providers being removed from My Aged Care.

The SVF initiative has been implemented as part of the Commonwealth Government’s response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which found more should be done to improve the accuracy of information entered by providers into the My Aged Care ‘Find a Provider’ tool. This included independent verification of claims of specialisations for people with diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Providers seeking verification must now meet specific criteria set by the Department of Health and Aged Care, including demonstrating that their services, staff training, and organisational practices are tailored to meet the unique needs of these groups. Once verified, these providers are listed in the My Aged Care portal, allowing individuals to find and choose services that align with their specific requirements.

Care Finder

The Care Navigator program was introduced to help older Australians navigate the complex aged care system, guiding accessing services and understanding their options. The National Roundtable Care Navigator Subcommittee (Lotus Place, Tuart Place, Forde Foundation and Global Community Resourcing) collaborated with the Council on the Ageing (COTA) to secure the first Care Navigator placement for Forgotten Australians from January to December 2022. This program was instrumental in identifying the need for more personalised, intensive support for those who face barriers such as language difficulties, cognitive decline, or reluctance to engage with government services.

The Care Finder program was launched in 2023 as part of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and in response to the findings from the Care Navigator program. This free service is designed to provide face-to-face support to vulnerable people who meet specified criteria to assist individuals in understanding and accessing aged care services, connecting them with other relevant community supports, and ensuring they receive the necessary care under My Aged Care.

Care Leavers finding barriers to Care Finders Program

Although a positive initiative, there are significant issues in that Care Finding is impossible if there are services to be found by the Department’s own assessment.

Since the commencement of the SVF initiative by the Department of Health and Aged Care, not a single service provider has been verified for the provision of specialised services to Care Leavers/Forgotten Australians. Care Leavers/Forgotten Australians and Parents Separated from Children by Forced Adoption/removal are the only specialised groups without any services verification to provide appropriate care whatsoever.

What this means for Care Leavers/Forgotten Australians is there is no Care Finders as there are no services to be found. This is, simply, because such services do not exist, leaving the Care Leavers to navigate to nowhere.

A call to action

The National Roundtable stands behind Forgotten Australians/Care Leavers and continues to work with representatives from the Department of Health and Aged Care on this issue to bring awareness to this massive problem in the aged care system.

Anne Livingstone is Chair of the National Aged and Community Care Roundtable for Forgotten Australians

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