Natalie Siegel-Brown puts housing in reform spotlight
- Prevention: RLC backs Natalie Siegel-Brown’s call to shift aged care reform towards earlier intervention
- Housing: Retirement living should be recognised as infrastructure that supports independence
- Demand: Australia should reduce the need for residential aged care, not just build more beds
- Reform: RLC wants planning, housing and aged care policy better aligned
The Retirement Living Council (RLC) says Natalie Siegel-Brown has reinforced the need to reform ageing long before Australians enter aged care.
Responding to the Inspector-General of Aged Care’s National Press Club address on Wednesday (15 July), the peak body said Australia cannot build its way out of an ageing population and instead needs to invest earlier in housing, independence and prevention.
RLC Executive Director Daniel Gannon said the debate should focus on reducing demand for residential aged care, not simply expanding supply.
“More beds will always be needed, but independence should be our first intervention, not our last consideration,” he said.
“Retirement communities are not aged care facilities, and that is exactly why they matter. They provide age-friendly homes, social connection and practical support that help older Australians maintain their independence for longer.”
In her address, the outgoing Inspector-General argued Australia should stop asking how to build more aged care beds and instead ask how to prevent demand for them.
“The answer to an ageing population is not more beds,” she said. “The real question should be: how do we stop generating that demand in the first place?”
Daniel said her comments showed housing, health and aged care policy could no longer be treated separately, calling for retirement living to be recognised as prevention infrastructure within future aged care reforms.
“Australia is trying to solve an ageing challenge with an aged care system, when the answer starts much earlier – with housing, community and prevention,” he said.
