aged rights advocacy service

What aged rights advocacy service does

Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc. (ARAS), founded in 1990 and headquartered in Dulwich, South Australia, is an independently incorporated non-profit and public benevolent institution that delivers free, confidential, state-wide advocacy services to older people. It operates as the South Australian member of the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), the national delivery vehicle for the Commonwealth-funded National Aged Care Advocacy Program (NACAP). ARAS runs a portfolio of human-delivered programs including Residential Care Advocacy, Community Care Advocacy, Abuse Prevention, Aboriginal Advocacy (delivered with the Council of Aboriginal Elders SA), Retirement Village Advocacy (under the Retirement Villages Act 2016), the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme, and the Aged Care Navigator (care finder) service. Service delivery occurs via a main office in Dulwich, regional outlets in Victor Harbor, Nuriootpa, and Berri, a toll-free advocacy line (1800 700 600), home and facility visits, and community education sessions, with publications available in 17 languages.

The organisation has no proprietary technology platform; its value proposition rests on specialist advocates, multilingual resources, cultural competency (including a dedicated Aboriginal Advocacy stream), and three decades of institutional relationships across government, the aged care sector, and the community. Revenue is derived almost entirely from Commonwealth and State government grants, supplemented by modest individual and organisational membership fees ($5-$200 per annum) and fee-for-service workshops such as the Train the Trainer program ($275 per attendee). ARAS is governed by a volunteer board chaired by Anne Burgess AM, holds Certificate-level ASES accreditation, is registered with the ACNC as a charity with Deductible Gift Recipient status, and is patronised by the Governor of South Australia. A leadership transition is underway, with Anna Barton appointed Chief Executive effective July 2026, succeeding Carolanne Barkla after ten years in the role.

Name

aged rights advocacy service

Legal name

Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc.

Website

https://agedrights.asn.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) is a South Australian non-profit, founded in 1990, that delivers free, confidential aged care and human rights advocacy to older people across the state as the SA member of the national OPAN network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Care Navigation & Service Coordination (Medical, Social, Community) (HSABAIAB)

Keywords

• Aged care advocacy
• Elder rights support
• Human rights advocacy
• Community education services
• Nonprofit aged care

Headquarters

HQ city

Dulwich

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ARAS is funded primarily by the Commonwealth Government (Department of Health) through the National Aged Care Advocacy Program (NACAP) and by South Australian State Government agencies. Additional funding supports specific programs including the Retirement Village Advocacy Program (Office for Ageing Well, DHS), Aboriginal Advocacy (Department of the Premier and Cabinet), and Aged Care Navigator services. All advocacy, information, and education services are provided free of charge to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ARAS provides free, confidential, state-wide individual and systemic advocacy for older South Australians (and their representatives) dealing with residential and community aged care providers, elder abuse, retirement village disputes, and complex aged care system navigation. Services are delivered by trained advocates across main and regional offices, a toll-free advocacy line, and outreach, supplemented by Train the Trainer and Advanced Responder fee-for-service workshops, self-advocacy resources, and multilingual information in 17 languages.

Product overview

Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) offers a portfolio of human-powered advocacy services for older South Australians rather than a unified technology product. The core services include Residential Care Advocacy, Community Care Advocacy, Abuse Prevention, Aboriginal Advocacy, Retirement Village Advocacy, Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme, and Aged Care Navigator services. These are delivered by trained advocates who assist older people in upholding their rights and addressing concerns with care providers. ARAS also provides education programs including Train the Trainer and Advanced Responder workshops on elder abuse prevention, along with self-advocacy resources and publications. The organization operates as a not-for-profit funded by Commonwealth and State governments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• State-wide service coverage across South Australia including rural and remote areas
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990ARAS is the South Australian member of OPAN, a national network comprised of nine state and territory organisations, funded by the Australian Government's National Aged Care Advocacy Program (NACAP). OPAN is guided by the Service Delivery Framework and provides a coordinated national approach to aged care advocacy.
• Council of Aboriginal Elders S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Aboriginal Advocacy Program is delivered in collaboration with the Council of Aboriginal Elders S.A., providing culturally sensitive advocacy services for older First Nations peoples.
• Reconciliation AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReconciliation Australia formally endorsed ARAS's Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2025-2027, guiding ARAS's commitment to strengthening relationships with First Nations peoples.
• Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerARAS and EAAA co-hosted the 2024 Australian Elder Abuse Conference at the Adelaide Convention Centre, providing a national platform to support older people by listening to their stories and advocating for their human rights.
• Healing FoundationminorOthersThe Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to address ongoing trauma. ARAS references their resources in working with Stolen Generations survivors.
• Dementia AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDementia Australia jointly raised concerns with ARAS about the Statutes Amendment (Health and Wellbeing) Bill 2025, representing older South Australians with dementia.
• COTA SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA SA partnered with ARAS and Dementia Australia in issuing a Joint Statement of Concern regarding the Statutes Amendment (Health and Wellbeing) Bill 2025.
• Alliance for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (APEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPEA members include ARAS, Office of the Public Advocate, Legal Services Commission of SA, Public Trustee, and South Australia Police. The alliance works collaboratively to raise awareness and champion the rights of older people.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN): OPAN is the national peak body for aged care advocacy of which ARAS is the SA member. It coordinates the nine state/territory delivery organisations, sets the Service Delivery Framework, and channels Commonwealth NACAP funding. ARAS operates as the SA delivery arm under OPAN's framework.
• Council on the Ageing South Australia (COTA SA): COTA SA is the peak advocacy body for older South Australians and a frequent policy partner with ARAS (e.g., joint statement on Statutes Amendment Bill 2025). Both organisations advocate on aged care policy, rights, and system navigation for the same SA elder cohort.
• Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA): EAAA is the national peak body on elder abuse and co-hosted the 2024 Australian Elder Abuse Conference with ARAS. It shares ARAS's elder abuse prevention and awareness mandate at the national level, with overlapping stakeholder ecosystem.
• Office of the Public Advocate (SA): OPA SA is a statutory advocate for adults with impaired decision-making capacity and a member of the Alliance for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (APEA) alongside ARAS. It provides guardianship and advocacy services that are highly complementary to ARAS's aged care advocacy work.

Broad incumbents

• Dementia Australia: Dementia Australia is the national peak body for people living with dementia, their families and carers. It has partnered with ARAS on policy advocacy (Statutes Amendment Bill 2025) and overlaps substantially on elder care rights, advocacy, and education for a major subset of ARAS clients.
• Justice Connect: Justice Connect operates the Seniors Law program providing free legal help to older Australians on elder abuse, housing, and aged care matters nationally. It is comparable to ARAS in mission and consumer base, though delivered through legal aid rather than aged-care-specific advocacy.
• Carers Australia: Carers Australia is the national peak body for unpaid carers, many of whom are family members of the older people ARAS serves. Both organisations sit within the Commonwealth aged care and disability ecosystem and frequently refer clients across their networks.
• National Seniors Australia: National Seniors is a consumer organisation advocating on aged care, retirement incomes, and rights for older Australians. ARAS Board Treasurer Michael Dwyer has previously been a Director of the COTA/National Seniors Partnership, evidencing close organisational ties.

Regional players

• Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia: MCCSA is led by ARAS Board Member Helena Kyriazopoulos and overlaps directly on multicultural ageing issues. Both organisations serve CALD older South Australians and partner on cultural safety, language access, and elder rights in community settings.

Others

• Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA): ACCPA is the national peak body for aged care providers. While representing the supply side rather than consumer advocacy, ARAS engages with ACCPA members as the subjects of its advocacy work and partners with them on training (Train the Trainer workshops) and sector reform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/saagedrights
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGvte5mDkkjEMcfxRnxcqkw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/saagedrights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aged-rights-advocacy-service

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about aged rights advocacy service