The following is the Charter of Rights for the Elderly Living in Residential Care enacted by the Australian Government in 1991 to ensure that the rights of residents of Government-funded nursing homes and hostels are promoted and protected. Every person has the right to freedom and respect and the right to be treated fairly by others. A person's rights do not diminish when he or she moves into a nursing home, regardless of his or her physical or mental frailty or ability to exercise or fully appreciate his or her rights. A positive, supportive and caring attitude by family, friends, nursing home proprietors and staff, carers and the community will help people who live in nursing homes to continue as integral, respected and valued members of society.
Australian society has a strong commitment to social justice principles.
Those principles recognize the aspirations of all Australians to a dignified and secure way of life with equal access to health care, housing and education, and equal rights in civil, legal and consumer matters. They form the basis of a society which is free of prejudice and is caring, just and humane. This Charter affirms those social justice principles. The personal, civil, legal and consumer rights of each resident are not diminished in any way when he or she moves into a hostel. The Charter also recognises that residents of nuring homes have the responsibiliy to ensure that the exercising of their individual rights does not affect others' individual rights, including those providing care.