A leading industry expert has been appointed to take on a new role that was suggested by the Aged Care Royal Commission to help solve the issues in aged care.
Former Chief Executive (CE) of peak consumer body Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia, Ian Yates AM, has been appointed as the Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care, commencing his new role in January 2023.
The role addresses Recommendation 12 of the Final Report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which suggested that an interim and statutory Inspector General of Aged Care should be established, along with supporting Offices.
Mr Yates has extensive experience representing older Australians on a State and Federal level, and he said that being appointed to the new role, a first for the country, was an honour.
“I am honoured to take on this interim role, and will work with older Australians and the sector to understand the issues affecting their experiences of aged care, highlighting problems and recommending solutions to drive positive change across the system,” he said.
“The establishment of the Interim Inspector-General, and later, Inspector-General of Aged Care, presents an opportunity to address long-standing issues with the aged care system.
In the role, Mr Yates will be undertaking a number of responsibilities with the support and assistance of an interim Government Office, which will include:
Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, said that Mr Yates was chosen for the role because of his extensive experience and expertise in aged care over the course of his decorated career.
Besides his over 20-year position as the CE of COTA Australia, Mr Yates has also been the Chair of the Council of Elders and a member of the National Aged Care Advisory Council and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Council.
Additionally, Mr Yates was a member of the Aged Care Financing Authority for nine years, as well as being an Honorary Doctor and Emeritus Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University.
Minister Wells said, “Mr Yates brings a wealth of experience to the role of Interim Inspector-General for Aged Care.
“This role demonstrates our [Government’s] commitment to strengthening and driving positive change in the aged care system by providing the means for independent oversight, increased transparency and accountability in the sector.
“The interim Inspector-General and, when appointed, the Inspector-General, will provide independent oversight across the aged care system, and will play a critical role in enhancing transparency and building greater confidence in the operation of the aged care system.”
The Federal Government expects for the official Inspector-General to be appointed in the second half of 2023, once legislation has passed Parliament.
Currently, the Department of Health and Aged Care is running consultation on the draft Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill, with submissions open from today and set to close on 28 January, 2023.
To view the consultation paper and draft Bill and provide feedback, visit the Aged Care Engagement Hub.
We don’t need more dinosaurs for heaven’s sake! Ian has had his time in the sun. Let someone else step in. Jobs for the boys.
We do not need more people like Ian to reform aged care. What the commission has recommended and implemented in last two years was merely Band-Aid to gunshot wound. More bureaucracy and more paper work dragging nurses and carers away from providing care and company to older adults. It just shows how little and out of touch these people are when it comes to dealing with real issues and real people within the current aged care system. What we need is people who are passionate about caring for older adults, they have been seeing and dealing with the issues with their own eyes and hands – doctors, nurses, carers, residents and their family! These people know what is the most important to provision of excellent care and how to actually get there!