Who we are

The Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance (YPINHNA) is the peak body working to end the placement of people under 65 years in residential aged care.

The Alliance is a leading contributor to policy development and implementation across the disability, health, housing and aged care sectors.

How we began

The Alliance began as the result of a Call to Action made at the 2002 Young People In Nursing Homes National Summit, where over 280 people from across the country joined federal and state ministers including now-PM Anthony Albanese, to discuss solutions with several younger people living in residential aged care.

Following the National Summit, the Alliance began a national campaign to raise public awareness of the issue and end the placement of young disabled Australians in residential aged care.

In 2006 and as a result of this national campaign, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) announced YPIRAC1 and $244m of joint state and federal funding to address the problem over the next 5 years.

Our work continued beyond 2011 to resolve the Younger People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) issue, by supporting the development of the NDIS, campaigning for the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS), researching and trialing cross-sector service coordination, undertaking policy development and contributing to the 2020 YPIRAC Strategy.

Our mission

To end the placement of younger people living with a disability in residential aged care (RAC).

Our vision

That younger Australians living with a disability have the housing and support options they need to live safely and confidently in the community, without resorting to institutional settings.

Our work

To resolve the younger people in residential age care issue, we work across systems with:

People with disability and their families to

have a say in decisions about their lives.
have choice in where they live and how they want to be supported.

Service systems and providers to

inform, advise and collaborate.
make referrals.
develop new service options.

The NDIS; and state and federal governments to

provide constructive policy analysis and advice.
Ensure the lived experience of younger people in aged care informs government policy.

Our impact

Better integrated, more effective and efficient human services is at the heart of the Alliance’s work. Some of the ways we’ve achieved this include

developing the systems wrangling concept
collaborating on innovative service development
convening national conversations on YPIRAC and service systems reform
developing outcomes based policies
raising awareness of YPIRAC through national campaigns and the media. The Alliance maintains an ongoing dialogue on key issues concerning YPIRAC and system reform. We have convened large and small events focused on policy development and reforming the service system to deliver the joined up services Australians with disability expect. These include:
- events focused on YPIRAC
- National Summits and industry forums on the NDIS and the National Injury Insurance Scheme
- The Joint Solutions™ roundtable series, to encourage collaboration across government programs
- Establishing a National Cross Sector Network representing the education, justice, housing, disability, health and rehabilitation systems
- A National Roundtable on Young Onset Dementia

Our ongoing role

To ensure the voices of young people with disability are heard and supported the Alliance advocates through

YPIRAC remains part of the national dialogue

The Alliance maintains an ongoing dialogue on key issues concerning YPIRAC and system reform. We have convened large and small events focused on policy development and reforming the service system. These include events focused on:

YPIRAC
National Summits and industry forums on the NDIS and the National Injury Insurance Scheme
The Joint Solutions™ roundtable series, to encourage collaboration across government programs
Establishing a National Cross Sector Network representing the education, justice, housing, disability, health and rehabilitation systems
A National Roundtable on Young Onset Dementia

Policy development

We contribute to development and implementation of key policy initiatives.

Our membership of national advisory bodies and industry forums ensures the experience of younger people in aged care is part of important policy discussions.

We maintain an active presence in

The design and evolution of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
The achievement of the 2025 YPIRAC Target
Efforts to better integrate services for people requiring concurrent services from multiple service systems
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s deliberations

Parliamentary inquiries

We have made detailed submissions to parliamentary inquiries where YPIRAC issues are relevant.

NDIS Review

We have made a substantial number of submissions to the NDIS Review on a variety of topics including:

Reform of the SIL program
A Statutory Duty of Care for Disability Service Providers
Inclusive Communities are integral to Housing/SDA developments
Service System Reform, Are they legal? Cross billing
Arrangements for NDIS Participants in RAC
Completion of the NIIS

Service development

The Alliance works with interested parties to design and develop innovative community support services for people living with a disability. We have led new service development to stop younger people entering RAC, and help younger residents move from RAC to community living.

We are currently working with people living with young onset dementia and their families, to codesign a specialist young onset dementia residential service in suburban Melbourne with clinicians, service providers, support workers and support coordinators.

Networking and collaboration

Resolving the YPIRAC issue demands collaboration across the health, housing, disability and aged care sectors. We demonstrate that collaborative approach in our work with

people with disability and families
service programs and providers
state and federal governments
national taskforces
advisory bodies
representative peak bodies
State, Territory and national non-government organisations.

The direct support we provide to people with disability ensures we have exceptional contacts in service delivery settings and excellent working knowledge of relevant service systems.

Community awareness campaigns

Our media presence ensures the YPIRAC issue remains prominent amongst a range of disability and aged care concerns.

Researchers and students routinely contact us for information and use our resources and publications.

Media presence

We leverage our expertise and support younger people with lived experience of aged care to campaign for change.

We led the successful Young People In Nursing Homes campaign and supported younger people living in aged care and their families to tell their stories to government, royal commissions, government and other inquiries, and the media.

The campaign’s original ‘call to action’ was endorsed by the National YPIRAC Summit and underpinned the campaign to mobilise people with disability, their families and advocates, service sector industry groups and federal and state disability and health ministers generate unprecedented media attention through national, state and regional media, and
raise public awareness of the issue and the need to act.

As a result of this campaign, the Council of Australian Governments committed $244m in 2006 to address the YPINH issue.

In responding to the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Interim Report, the Morrison Government strengthened the initial targets of the Younger People in Residential Aged Care Action Plan. The new targets were:

No people under the age of 65 entering residential aged care by 2022
No people under the age of 45 living in residential aged care by 2022; and
No people under the age of 65 living in residential aged care by 2025.

A second YPIRAC Strategy was endorsed by the Australian Government in 2020 to deliver these targets.