The Council – a recommendation from the Royal Commission – will represent older Australians to the Government and engage on aspects of aged care including quality, safety, rights, and dignity of older people.
Its 14 initial members are:
- Ian Yates AM, CEO of Council of the Ageing Australia, and senior Australians and aged care advocate
- Dr Michael Barbato OAM, rural doctor and palliative care specialist
- Professor Tom Calma AO, health, mental health and Indigenous affairs academic
- Gwenda Darling, dementia advocate
- Val Fell, aged care and dementia advocate
- Gillian Groom AO, occupational therapist and elder law expert
- Danijela Hlis, author and dementia carer
- Bill Jolley, advisor on disability issues and vision loss
- Professor Gill Lewin, health, ageing and aged care researcher
- Professor John McCallum, CEO of National Seniors Australia, ageing policy researcher and activist
- Sue McCann, aged care leader of end to end facility management
- Dr Kay Patterson AO, Age Discrimination Commissioner
- Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM, 2021 Senior Australian of the Year, activist, education leader and artist
- Margaret Walsh OAM, nurse and manager of a disability organisation and an aged care organisation.
Mr Yates – who also sits on the new National Aged Care Advisory Council – says the Council of Elders is an exciting initiative, and he is honoured to work alongside its members.
“Having a voice of senior Australians direct to Government will be key to ensure the reforms from the royal commission continue to have the voice of those that experience the system at their centre.
“The first Council of Elders has an appropriately diverse range of experience, background, location and opinions and I look forward to working with the members of the Council to provide this important voice to Ministers and the National Aged Care Advisory Council,” he said.
Council members will serve two-year terms.
