Meet Anne Burgess, Chair of the Council of Elders
Anne Burgess AM has been the Chair of the Aged Care Council of Elders since 2023. The Council provides advice to government about aged care and ageing well, while also engaging with older people about aged care changes.
Anne was also appointed by the Australian Government as Chair of the Aged Care Transition Taskforce and as a member of the National Aged Care Advisory Council.
Anne wants the voices and lived experiences of older people to be valued and respected in the planning and delivery of aged care reforms.
'I'm really passionate about older people being heard and having the opportunity to influence and direct how care is provided to them, if they need care,' she says. 'It is a privilege to have this opportunity to work towards the best outcomes for older people, their families and the workforce, not only now but into the future.'
Before joining the Council of Elders, Anne spent her more than 40-year career as a senior public servant working to improve outcomes for South Australians.
Her commitment to social justice led her to roles such as Director of the Office for Women, Director of Mental Health at the Department of Human Services and a 2-year term as Acting Commissioner for Equal Opportunity South Australia.
Anne's passion for ageing well has seen her involved with several advocacy groups. She is currently Deputy Chair of Council on the Ageing South Australia and Chair of its policy council, Deputy Chair of the Older Persons Advocacy Network and Chair of Aged Rights Advocacy Service.
Anne was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to mental health, gender equality and older people in 2021.
'Our value is not dictated nor diminished by our age or where we are in the cycle of life,' says Anne. 'We all have the capacity to make positive contributions at every age.'
Watch Anne's video to find out more about her interest in aged care and the role of the Council of Elders:
My name is Anne Burgess and I'm a South Australian, I live in Adelaide and I'm Chair of the Aged Care Council of Elders.
Aged care is important to me, well firstly, because we're all ageing. Secondly, because if we are lucky enough, it'll be at least a third of our lives that we're called old, and older people deserve to live really, really good lives.
I'm really passionate about older people being heard and having the opportunity to influence and to direct the way that care is provided to them if they need care.
Older people tell me all the time that once you get to a certain age, they feel invisible. They feel like their views don't matter anymore. And we need to change that.
The focus at the moment on making residential aged care more appropriate for older people, the legislation that's being worked on, those issues are really important. We need a good legal framework to protect older people and their rights, and then we need services to be directed in the right way to meet older people's needs.
The Council of Elders is a really important body because it's people from around Australia who have a variety of experiences and knowledge, but they're all older people like me, and we get the opportunity to talk with the Government and with the Minister about the reforms that are being proposed and make sure they're appropriate for older people and they meet our needs.
YouTube version is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkMk2TrkYDo
To keep up to date with the work of the Council, visit the Aged Care Council of Elders Facebook page or webpage.
Let's change aged care, together
Every Australian should feel confident about accessing high quality and safe aged care, when and where they need it.
The changes mean Older people will have greater choice and control, services that respect and meet their needs, and support to stay independent as they age.
To find out more and help design the changes, visit the Get Involved page or call 1800 318 209.