Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is looking to change the way the aged care system works based on a television show. 

Last year, the ABC series “Old People’s Home for 4-year-olds” brought together pensioners and preschoolers in a social experiment, improving the health and happiness of the elderly.

This has inspired Mr Albanese to have kids become an integral part of the aged care system.

National Seniors Chief Advocate Ian Henschke tells Deborah Knight that the idea is a nice one, but questions if it is something the elderly would really want.

“All the evidence suggests now that having an active social network is more important than diet or exercise.

“What I’m worried about is that when people go into aged care now, it’s at the very tail-end of life, they’re often very, very frail and many of them have cognitive dysfunction.

“You’ve gotta be careful about what you’re doing there. It should be about choice.

“It looks simple on telly, bring the kids in, it all works well. It would have been more complex than that.”

He believes more community outreach programs with school students would be a better way to move forward.

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Policy Manager for Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association Paul Versteege tells Ben Fordham the idea will not work.

“I don’t think that will ever happen.

“I really don’t know what Albanese was thinking. Anyone with any involvement in aged care can tell you that this is just pure madness.”

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Image: Getty/Tracey Nearmy