Uniting achieves specialist aged care accreditation for Forgotten Australians

Uniting NSW.ACT has become the first provider in New South Wales, and the second nationally, to be verified in delivering specialist residential aged care for Forgotten Australians.

Forgotten Australians refers to the half a million people who experienced out-of-home care between the 1950s and 1989, including those in state-run institutions, orphanages, or other forms of institutional care. The federal government’s Aged Care Act, formalised in November 2024, acknowledges the need for special care for these groups, as well as the Stolen Generations, former child migrants, and people who have spent lengthy periods in prison or healthcare facilities.

Uniting Executive Manager of Nursing and Clinical Governance Tanya Critchlow said, “as these survivors age and may begin to experience complex needs, the prospect of moving into residential care can stir an array of powerful and challenging responses.”

She added, “We are the first provider in NSW to get this verification and second in Australia. This is a huge achievement and something we are very proud of.”

Nareen Gardens on the NSW Central Coast and Uniting Osborne Nowra are the first of Uniting’s 70-plus residential sites to achieve the accreditation. The provider has also introduced a trauma-informed framework recognising that care leavers may never disclose their history and that staff themselves may be care leavers.

Uniting NSW.ACT operates more than 70 residences across urban, rural and regional communities, alongside in-home care services.