Aged Care Essay 3
WRITTEN RESPONSE This essay aims to represent an argument between two view points: to remain in their own homes with ongoing support from families and the health system or going to residential aged care of elderly in Australia. Especially, it deals with the issue of increasing ageing population in Australia includes statistical information highlighting some causes and telltales. The context presented is economic and social. It also looks at the effects that increasing of the ageing population has on society, the individual and the Australian economy. Australia is one of the most advantaged aged care systems in the world. The increasing numbers of ageing population is one of the major transformations being experienced by Australia’s population, and is the current focus for both economic and social policy. In June 2007 there were 2.75 million people over 64 in Australia, of whom 334,900 were aged over 84. Some 160,000 elderly Australians occupy beds in residential aged care although a large number, a relatively small proportion of the elderly. (Hogan, 2008). Furthermore, the view by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that in the five years to June 2008, the number of people aged 65 years and over increased by 300,000 (or 11.8%) to reach 2.8 million. The proportion of the population in this age group also increased, rising from 12.7% to 13.2%. In the 12 months to 30 June 2008, the number of people aged 85 years and over increased by 20,700 people (6.0%) to reach 364,900. (ABS, 2008). Even though there has been an increasing of the ageing population in recent years, the aged people have been ensured access to available care services appropriate to their assessed needs, and to the support of carers in their caring role services to receive benefits and support from families and the health system such as Community Health Services (HACC) and Aged Care Assessment Team. According to the Campaign for Care of Older Australians (CCOA) in TheNational
Bibliography: -Population by Age and Sex, regions of Australia, 2008, [online], http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3235.0~2008~Main+Features~Main+Features?OpenDocument#PARALINK2 (viewed March 20, 2009). -Support and Care Options, 2008, [online], http://www.onecare.org.au.html, (viewed March 9, 2009). -The National Report, 2010, ‘Older Australians Need Health Reform Too’[online], www.agedcare.org.au/AGED-CARE-NEWS/Nat-report-pdfs/Issue223-10Mar10.pdf ,(Viewed on March 10,2010).