Keep best friends together in retirement

Transitioning into aged care puts considerable stress on older people, who face multiple lifestyle changes all at once. For those older people who live with companion animals, the thought of being made to surrender them makes an already stressful situation worse by increasing the risk of loneliness and depression.

Retirement living that bans pets isn’t good enough in 2026. There must be reasonable provision for pets in all forms of retirement living. Blanket prohibitions are discriminatory and irrational.

AJP proposes legislation that would ensure pets are assessed for suitability, suitable hygiene standards apply and vaccination and care plans are required.

Retirement villages are already required to comply with sensible rules that have evolved to ensure that they act in their client's interest in addition to making a profit. This AJP policy is just a little more of the same.