Right noe, there are over 6500 young Australians living in aged care - simply because there are very limited alternatives (Senate Community Reference Committee 2004).
In addition, there are a further 700 000 more struggling at home with support from family friends and a range of community groups. Clearly this is inappropriate.
Being young is about a lifetime ahead of you, yet aged care id designed for someone whoe is at the end of their life. The realities of aged care mean a young person will share a residence where the average age is 86 and the average life expectancy is just three years. More importantly, in most cases, their specific care needs will not be met and differ greatly to those of the elderly residents.
Youngcare exists to create awareness to drive change and create real choices for all young people with full time care needs.
We believe the issue is solvable. With the right level of support from the community, government and business Youngcare can address the issue so that all young people are living the kind of lives they deserve – one filled with hope, possibility and dignified care.
