Australia's population is ageing, and children make up a smaller share of it. People aged 65 and over now make up 18 per cent of Australians. Birth rates have fallen to 1.48 babies per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1. Fewer workers means fewer taxpayers, while more older people need care. Experts say there are no quick fixes, and that the country needs serious structural reform to share the burden fairly.
Rose Lodge, a not-for-profit aged care facility in Wonthaggi, is recruiting a Retail Supervisor for its Opportunity Shop. The role involves running daily shop operations and helping to generate funds that support the facility's residents. The position is part-time, at 15 hours per week. Interested candidates are asked to send their resume to the People and Culture Manager, Nicole Hrvatin, by the closing date of Sunday, November 1, 2026. Applicants must hold a current police check clearance covering unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups.
Police have confirmed that a man reported missing from St George has been located safe and well. Officers thanked the media and the community for their help. The man was last seen around 2.15pm on 26 October. Police and family had concerns for his welfare because of a medical condition that causes confusion and requires medication. The details have been removed for privacy reasons.
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The Commonwealth Ombudsman has called for laws to be changed so assessors can override decisions made by an aged care algorithm. The watchdog found the system had produced unfair outcomes for residents and weakened public confidence. Ombudsman Iain Anderson said many outcomes were inappropriate and that the department did not fully understand the legal framework it created. The government says an independent review will be released in the first half of 2027. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said the findings showed lessons from robodebt had been ignored.
Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson has found the aged care funding algorithm is neither fair nor consistent. His report, over 100 pages, says the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing acted unreasonably in running the assessment scheme. He recommends that senior assessors be allowed to override the algorithm's decisions. The government has not accepted that recommendation, but has agreed to a review of the Aged Care Act.
A Commonwealth Ombudsman investigation has found that the government's automated aged care assessment tool, the Integrated Assessment Tool, produces unfair outcomes and erodes public trust. Ombudsman Iain Anderson said algorithmic decisions cannot currently be overridden, even when clinically inappropriate. The investigation also found the department wrongly told assessment providers that automated outcomes could be changed, and that there was no public information explaining how the tool reaches its results. The Ombudsman made 10 recommendations, including legislative changes allowing overrides.
An algorithm used by the federal government to assess older Australians' care needs is unreasonable and unfair, according to an investigation by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Iain Anderson. The 104-page report found assessors are barred from overriding the tool's funding recommendations, even when they are clinically wrong. It also found there is no public explanation of how the algorithm reaches its outcomes and that recommendations from the robodebt royal commission on transparency were not followed. The Ombudsman says the law must change so assessors can correct clinically incorrect decisions. The Department of Health and Ageing has been contacted for comment.
Australia's care system, covering child care, aged care and disability support, has increasingly moved to private, for-profit providers. Commentators say this shift has produced gaps in service and uneven quality. Political and social scientist Mark Considine describes a wide mix of good and poor services. Under the current voucher-style funding model, governments leave much of the design and location of services to providers. The authors argue reforms that only add scrutiny will not fix the problem and call for a more community-based social model.
Nurse Next Door is providing $1 million of free in-home care to older West Australians who cannot afford support while waiting for government-funded services. Some of these people are going without basic needs such as showers, meals, personal care and medication management. Nurse Next Door Perth South East managing director Keir Williams said many older people struggle when their needs change suddenly. The short-term program, called Making Lives Better Million, provides caregivers and nurses. Locals in need within the company's service area can apply now.
Dee Bocking has been named the Liberal candidate for Gosford. She is an aged care specialist and disability support worker, and a small business owner. She is also a former Gosford City councillor.
A $28 million New South Wales pilot will provide interim aged care services so older patients can leave hospital sooner while waiting for federal support packages. Health Minister Ryan Park announced the program alongside a report by the NSW Productivity and Equality Commission. It estimates the number of older stranded patients could rise from around 1,100 to more than 7,000 by 2036. Park said the state cannot keep waiting for the Commonwealth to meet its responsibilities.
Waterford MP Shannon Fentiman says funding has been secured for a secure gate at Flindersia Park, which residents near Arcare Aged Care and Halcyon Rise had raised concerns about over hooning and safety. She has written to mayor Jon Raven and councillor Jacob Heremaia about the gate. Fentiman is also backing the RizeUp Christmas Gift Appeal, which supports families affected by domestic and family violence. Her electorate office is a drop-off point for gifts, which must be left by Thursday 10 December.
Members of the Greek Presidential Guard, known as the Evzones, visited the Greek Community Home for the Aged in Sydney on Friday 23 October. The visit was arranged at the direction of Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas. Major Panagiotis Mimikos spoke to residents about the Guard's history, its traditional uniforms and its meaning as a symbol of Greek national identity. Con Apoifis, president of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, said the visit deeply moved residents, many of whom migrated to Australia in the first generation.
Logan residents can meet local aged care, disability support, community service and health providers at a free Care & Lifestyle Expo. The event runs from 10am to 1pm on Tuesday 3 November at the Logan Reserve Community Centre in Chambers Flat. Organised by the Birch Foundation, it brings together service providers, charities, allied health professionals and community groups. Birch Foundation managing director Shone Benjamin says the aim is for people to see available services face to face. Exhibitor fees will support the charity's ongoing programs.
The ACT Government has defended spending $10 million on upgrading the Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre in Rivett without adding beds. Health Infrastructure Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith told the Legislative Assembly the ageing building needs extensive work, including new heating, cooling and electrical systems, a commercial kitchen and dementia-friendly facilities. Independent MLAs Fiona Carrick and Thomas Emerson criticised the approach, arguing the money should have expanded respite services. Burrangiri is expected to close for about a year from July 2027 during renovations.
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Rockhampton woman Norma Tucker has marked her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends at Carinity Shalom aged care home. Born on 13 October 1926, she arrived one day before the first Winnie-the-Pooh book was published. Norma met her husband, Gordon, on a train journey from Yeppoon to Rockhampton and later raised his two orphaned nieces alongside their daughter. Her family says she has spent her life caring for others, and she is known for her baking and her card-playing. Norma continues to live at Carinity Shalom.
Aged care providers and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia want a dedicated essential skills visa for care workers. They say overseas workers are central to the sector as the population ages. Ageing Australia says 51 per cent of the residential aged care workforce was born overseas. A regional Orange centre reports that 104 of its 179 staff are from Nepal. Major parties have proposed competing cuts to net overseas migration, and the Coalition says aged care would remain a priority workforce.
The editor's grandfather, a writer, died in August after a stay at Southern Cross Care Onkaparinga Lodge. Before his death he wrote down the names of more than 51 staff and the greetings they spoke in their languages. The editor thanks the team for the joy they brought him. The editorial also previews stories on migrant communities, including the Albanian community, Polish settlers and First Nations culture. It urges readers to share their own stories and reflect on the diversity that makes South Australia a wonderful place to live.
Joan McCall worked for 48 years in the kitchen of Star of the Sea, a Catholic aged care home in Wallaroo. She started as a kitchen hand after leaving school and later cooked all meals for residents as the home grew from 20 to 70 beds. She retired a few months ago to care for her husband, who has dementia. Colleague Gaylia Johns said the home now uses a trishaw to take residents around town and keeps a memory tree honouring past residents.
