Luke Grant is joined by Professor John McCallum, National Seniors Chief Executive and Director of Research, who have just released a comprehensive report on what older Australians want now in aged care.

The country’s peak consumer organisation for seniors conducted the research throughout the past year in the wake of the commission’s hearings and media coverage.  The report, titled ‘As close to home as possible’ found that if older Australians had to go into residential aged care, they wanted a place that was more like a home than an institution.

Professor McCallum said respondents told the survey they wanted home cooked meals and accommodation that was home like and catered more for individual needs. He says, “The Royal Commission and the media coverage have had a major impact on older Australians’ attitudes toward residential aged care,” – “Many of those people who responded are worried they will suffer the same neglect and abuse they have heard and read about in evidence tabled at the Royal Commission.

“They say one way to combat this fear is for smaller, community minded facilities with home-like features.”

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