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More than 1,000 younger people with disability are still living in residential aged care.
The start of the new Aged Care Act 2024 on 1 November is a landmark win. For the first time, it sets an age limit on entry into residential aged care. It’s a victory built on decades of advocacy, research, and lived experience.
But our work is not done.
Despite the legislative win, over 1,000 younger Australians remain in aged care, and more than 300 new admissions occurred in 2024.
Most reductions have come from people turning 65 or death, not successful transitions to homes in the community.
Silver Lining | Belong
Summer Foundation launched a national campaign, including billboards in Canberra, to remind politicians that the issue is far from resolved. Belong shares the stories of people with disability who have lived in or narrowly avoided residential aged care.
Their message is powerful and direct: young people don’t belong in aged care.
The film featured four people who spent many years in aged care while they were under 30. A focus group identified their aspirations and what they liked to do, which differed from the restrictions of early meals and from early lights-out routines within aged care. This formed the basis of a poem, in which each of the lived experiences is cast and read out to the camera.
Results
The Parliament Billboard truck achieved 51,921 impressions against a KPI of 26,552.
Overall Campaign Performance across Meta achieved: Reach: 467,512.
Impressions: 1,081,332. Link clicks: 14,922. Landing page views: 11,595. Facebook-reported subscriptions: 125. Average cost per subscription: $15.57.
Many politicians shared the film with their followers. The number of young people with disabilities in aged care has been reduced to 829 (4 months after the campaign, February 2026).
Credits |
Creative: Silver Lining
DOP: Cam Suttie
Sound: Riley Achen-Donolly
Photography: Peter Tarasiuk
Digital Media: Misfit Digital