Reablement and ageing well initiatives offer transformative potential for older people living in Australia and accessing aged care services as they age. With coordinated investment in workforce, data, and integrated models, these approaches can support people to age with dignity, autonomy, and improved wellbeing.
As the aged care reform agenda progresses post the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, there is a pivotal opportunity to enhance and expand reablement approaches and ageing well initiatives across the lifespan, with particular emphasis for people aged 50 years and older.
This briefing paper explains why reablement and ageing well strategies should be integrated with aged care reforms. It uses recent Australian peer-reviewed evidence to support implementation advice and discusses the limitations of this approach for people living with disability and dementia.