Collective prejudice
Better Place Australia’s position paper on the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Published July 2021
Overview
Most responses to the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (2021) have characterised it as an important and ground-breaking publication with the potential to affect real change in the provision of aged care and its oversight.
While acknowledging this potential, this paper strives to take a more realistic and critical approach to the Royal Commission’s resolutions by responding to its three main findings, and in doing so explains Better Place Australia’s (BPA) position on the current situation regarding older Australians and their care.
Dangers older Australian’s face
As a result of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the impact of Covid-19, Australia has recently placed significant focus on seniors’ rights, needs and risks. Both these events demonstrated that there are many dangers older Australians face as citizens, consumers, and individuals, which cannot be quickly and/or easily addressed through legislative or organisational change.
Ageism is one of the key factors that influences national responses to older people.
Ageism combines socially and culturally sanctioned stereotypes with individual and collective prejudice and discrimination to negatively impact the health, wellbeing, visibility, and rights of older people.
We here at Better Place Australia argue that ageism has allowed for the creation and perpetuation of a broken aged care system and social marginalisation of older people. We believe that this culture must be addressed and alleviated to affect the meaningful legislative, service provision, regulatory and self-determination changes recommended by the Royal Commission and necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the full report below.
