The residual effects on people’s health from the pandemic are, hopefully, lessening. The truth of the long-term impacts on our society and economy resultant from our years of the pandemic are far less certain.

As we work our way through 2024, we will continue to have a worsening housing crisis with a perfect storm of high interest rates, low stock availability and high rents moving more and more of our citizens to couch-surfing and sleeping in cars or in the open. ACRO continues to seek out housing options and advocate on behalf of the homeless. 

We are seeing larger numbers of "baby boomers" moving to aged care in an environment where, again, access is constricted by lack of available facility.

We encourage older people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. My Aged Care, Home Assist and Secure and Commonwealth Home Support Programs continue to be funded to enable partial home maintenance and modifications that will enable older people to remain in their homes. This isn’t always feasible of course. ACRO remains ready to assist, where possible, older citizens as they deal with their ageing. 

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Of course, the pandemic is not over and we urge all to exercise caution, particularly in confined public places. Masks continue to be our best friends in combating illness. So too, is vaccination. These measures will become even more important as we move to the cooler months into Winter and the expected annual influenza outbreaks.