This project aims to meet the ageing needs of a group of people who were harmed in State and Institutional care during their childhood.
In Australia, an estimated 500,000 children and young people experienced institutional or other out-of-home ‘care’ during the last century, many of whom suffered physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse. Now, faced with the possibility of going into care a second time around, or accepting care into their homes, many are deeply troubled by what their future may hold.
Elm Place, a service of Relationships Australia SA began the Forgotten Australians Aged Care Project in mid-2016 to address these concerns. The project aims to increase awareness about the needs of all aging Australians who were harmed in State and Institutional care during their childhood. This includes Forgotten Australians, Care Leavers, former Child Migrants, and the Stolen Generations.
More recently, Helping Hand secured funding to continue the Project by appointing a Project Officer and running seminars. Going forward, the project stakeholders will develop a Position Statement to assist the aged care sector to support this group, and to share these learnings more broadly across the aged care sector, thereby ensuring that this group’s aged care experience is a positive one.
For more information about this project, please get in touch with the Project Officer Diana O’Neil at the Helping Hand on (08) 8224 7813 or by email doneil@helpinghand.org.au