Meet Professor Tom Calma AO, member of the Council of Elders
Professor Tom Calma AO is a member of the Aged Care Council of Elders. The council provides advice to the government about aged care and ageing well. Council members engage with older people about changes to aged care.
Tom is of Kungarakan and Iwaidja heritage from the Darwin region. He has worked in First Nations affairs at a local, community, state, national and international level.
Tom has worked in the public sector for more than 50 years. He is a Professor at the University of Sydney and the National Coordinator for Tackling Indigenous Smoking.
Tom has dedicated his life to improving outcomes for First Nations people and all Australians and has received several awards in recognition of his work. In 2012, Tom was awarded an Order of Australia for his advocacy work in human rights and social justice and distinguished service to First Nations people.
In 2023, Tom was named 2023 Senior Australian of the Year in recognition of his lifelong commitment to human rights and social justice for First Nations people.
Tom has been a member of the council since its inception in 2021 and also served on the Aged Care Taskforce. Tom says, "The Council of Elders is a great example of older people from within the community coming together to ensure that the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety are going to be implemented in a way that will have maximum impact for older people."
"The philosophy of "nothing about us, without us" is practiced by the Council of Elders," Tom said.
Tom is proud of the work the Council has achieved and is keen for older people to know that "The Council of Elders has developed a very collegiate, impactful and respectful relationship with the Department of Health and Aged Care to ensure older people are appropriately represented in public policy".
Watch Tom's video to find out more about his interest in aged care and the role of the Council of Elders:
Hi, I'm Tom Calma. I live in Canberra on Ngunnawal Country but I originate from Darwin on Larrakia Country. I’m Kungarakan and Iwaidja and Woolwonga. I've been involved in aged care for some years now, particularly when my mother entered an aged care facility. But even before that, having home care provided and just going through the whole process, you know, going right back until the eighties when I was involved as a member of the Aboriginal Hostels Ltd, when we had an aged care facility in the Hetty Perkins Center in Alice Springs.
So I've been able to see a transition over the years of Aboriginal community controlled aged care to the general provision of aged care. And I've been a very keen follower of the advancements in aged care. What's important in aged care is that we're able to provide a quality service to all clients, and that includes being able to deliver culturally appropriate care and to consider the circumstances of individuals, particularly for CALD communities for first nations communities and, you know, LGBTQI communities who are in aged care.And to be able to do it in a way that assists older people in their last years of life to be in a secure and culturally appropriate setting.
The Council of Elders is a great example of people from within the community coming together to ensure that the recommendations are going to be implemented in a way that they're going to have maximum impact. We meet regularly and the experience, the lived experience of people is so important. And I think we value the opportunity to be able to have input into government policy and direction. The feedback we get is that governments also appreciate our inputs into the reforms.
Tom is passionate about ensuring First Nations people receive quality and culturally appropriate aged care services. He says: "It's important in aged care that we're able to provide a quality service to all clients and that includes being able to deliver culturally appropriate care, and to consider the circumstances of individuals, particularly for diverse communities in aged care."
To keep up-to-date with the aged care reforms and 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.