On February 10 this year (2006), the Council Of Australian Governments (COAG) announced a limited 5 year program to being redressing the YPINH issue.

Initially targeting YPINH under 50 years of age, this program will operate in every State and Territory and has three objectives or streams.

• Stream One offers alternative community based accommodation and support arrangements to young people living in residential aged care facilities.
• Stream Two offers additional supports and services to young people living in residential aged care who choose not to move, either because their health will not allow it; or because remaining in the nursing home keeps them near their families and in their communities in remote areas.
• Stream Three aims to prevent young people with high and complex support needs being placed in aged care nursing homes now and in the future.

All YPINH in the target group are entitled to participate in this opportunity and can choose to do so or not.

All governments agree that the funding announced for this program will not be enough to assist all 6,500 YPINH currently living in aged care facilities. This initial phase is therefore very much a first step on the path to finally resolving this long standing problem once and for all.

Funding

The COAG YPINH Program has a total of $244 million available over its 5 years of operation to achieve its stated aims.

Of this, the Commonwealth Government has contributed $122 million and each state and territory has agreed to match this, dollar for dollar, with the amounts calculated on a per capita basis. (COAG Communique Key Points).

State by state, this will deliver:

• Australian Capital Territory
  $6 million approximately over 5 years.  $1.016 million (Commonwealth $508,000 + $0.288 million housing +  $0.220 million Disability Services ACT Government in 2006/07)
• New South Wales
  $80 million (Commonwealth $40 million + NSW Government $40 million) 
• Northern Territory: Tbc
• Queensland
  $46 million (Commonwealth $23 million +  $23 million Queensland Government)
• South Australia: Tbc
• Tasmania
  $5.8 million (Commonwealth $2.9 + $2.9 million Tasmanian Government)
• Victoria
  $50 million (Commonwealth $25 +  $25 million Victorian Government) plus an additional $10 million from the  Victorian Government for capital works.  Total = $60 million
• Western Australia 
  $5 million (Commonwealth $2.5 + $2.5 million WA Government + $8 million recurrent already committed by the  WA Government)

While each State jurisdiction will sign a separate bi-lateral agreement with the Commonwealth to participate in this ground breaking initiative, all States and Territories are developing implementation arrangements that will come online once bi-lateral agreements have been signed.

At present, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have signed their agreements with the Commonwealth and are underway.  The remaining states and territories are close to signing and information will be available on this site as soon as these agreements are 'live'.

Existing capacity

Its time and resource limitations means that the COAG program may not reach all those who want to access it.  If funding and resources are exhausted earlier than the projected end date, the Alliance supports the expansion of the COAG Program so that all YPINH under 50 can access the services and supports they need.

The Alliance will also be working to ensure that the current 5 year initiative is continued and expanded and that funding and resources remain available to young Australians with complex support needs so they do not move into nursing homes in the future.

Over 50’s

The YPINH issue has been around for over 40 years and many YPINH have grown older waiting in nursing homes for the community based supports and services they need.  Although not included in this initial phase, there are over 5,000 young Australians over 50 years of age living in aged care nursing homes who want the same opportunity now being offered to those who happen to be of a younger age.

While these older YPINH remain in aged care facilities and wait for the second phase of the COAG Program to begin, they need access to the disability supports and services they are unable to have at present. The Alliance will work with the Federal Department of Health and Ageing to ensure that the additional supports and services they need are delivered to YPINH over 50 years of age.

These supports and services include:

• Community access and involvement so that these YPINH can meet friends for lunch, go to a football match or film, or go down to the pub for a beer
• Rehabilitation including physio, speech and other therapies needed to maintain health and well being
• Equipment including electric wheelchairs, shower tables, pressure mattresses and other aids that YPINH are presently unable to access in residential aged care
• Higher staffing ratios so that staff can assist younger people who are larger, heavier and have more complex support requirements than the frail older people they otherwise support.

• Staff trained in the more intense support needs of young disabled Australians with high/complex support requirements

The Alliance is committed to ensuring that all stakeholders, regardless of age, have the supports they need to live their lives with dignity and meaning. 

We will ensure the COAG initiative is the success it must be if all young Australians with complex support needs are to have the 'life worth living' they want …and deserve.