COVID-19 has made older Australians fear for their lives and also for whether they will receive care to the same standard as younger people. Would better human rights protection in law, such as a federal Human Rights Act, ensure policies put human dignity at their core and free older persons from this fear?
The preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes ‘freedom from fear’ as the ‘highest aspiration of the common people’. The current pandemic is scary, especially for older persons. Not just because they are at higher risk of dying from the virus but because they fear being seen as less deserving of the best care due to their age. Stronger human rights protections in Australia, such as a Human Rights Act, could assist in allaying those fears.
The Aged Care Royal Commission has heard that Australia’s COVID-19 aged care death rate is among the highest in the world. By September 2020 approximately 74% of Australian COVID-19 deaths were residents of aged care. The data also clearly shows that while a person is more likely to catch COVID-19 if they are aged in their 20s, the vast majority of those who have died are aged 70 or over.