NACCHO Media Release: National Yarning Circle starts in Adelaide with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led aged care
29 Apr 2025
NACCHO Media Release: National Yarning Circle starts in Adelaide with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led aged care
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) has today opened the second Elder Care Support National Yarning Circle in Adelaide, bringing together frontline workers, health leaders, and policymakers to lead a culturally grounded and community-driven reform of aged care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Hosted on Kaurna Country, this year’s Yarning Circle builds on the success of the inaugural 2024 event, celebrating the growing national Elder Care Support workforce and their critical role in reimagining care for older First Nations peoples.
NACCHO’s Executive Director Monica Barolits-McCabe stated, “Our elders carry our culture, wisdom, and stories. Caring for them is a sacred responsibility, not simply a service. Through the Elder Care Support Program, we are transforming aged care by placing culture, connection to Country, and community at its heart. This Yarning Circle is an opportunity to celebrate our progress, share stories of resilience, and collectively build the next chapter in Aboriginal-led aged care.”
With an ageing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population and growing health inequities, delegates will focus on strengthening and expanding place-based solutions that prioritise connection to Country, cultural safety, and wraparound support.
Ms Andrea Kelly, Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner, has welcomed the gathering and acknowledged the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions in aged care.
“I commend NACCHO and the Elder Care Support Workers who are demonstrating how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led care models can shift the system. The Elder Care Support Program is helping to put culture, dignity, and connection at the centre of aged care, and is helping to address some of the barriers to accessing aged care that older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have shared with me. I’m grateful to be invited and stand alongside NACCHO, who deliver this important work, because it is necessary to ensure aged care reflects the strengths, knowledge, and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
Across the next two days, participants will share stories, strategies, and solutions on dementia, aged care navigation, systemic redesign, and more. The Yarning Circle is a space for courage, connection, and collective action.
The Elder Care Support Program is funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care and delivered by NACCHO in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations nationwide.
