Have your say on the future of aged care advocacy services

The Australian Government is calling for feedback on an options paper released as part of its review of Commonwealth Aged Care Advocacy Services.

Advocacy services provide free, confidential and independent support to older Australians, their families and carers about their rights and responsibilities when accessing aged care services in the home, residential facilities and in the community.

The review is being undertaken in the context of older Australians having greater choice about their aged care services.

It is important that consumers are able to take full advantage of the opportunities that having greater choice will bring, along with other important changes to the aged care system.

Advocacy services will support older Australians and their loved ones to make informed decisions and exercise choice in service delivery.

The options paper outlines key elements that could be adopted to create an integrated advocacy approach across all Commonwealth-funded aged care services.

Stakeholders now have the opportunity to give their views on what the advocacy programme should look like and how it should operate.

Responses to the paper can be submitted by 4 September 2015.

Visit the Department of Social Services website at www.dss.gov.au/agedcareadvocacy to be involved.