Overview Of Elderly Health Policy In Australia
As a developed country, Australia government has indication to take care of their elderly population in every part of subject especially on equality, affordability, and availability of health care service. Furthermore, their increase in life expectancy has made them share the population. Commonwealth Fund has lunch International Program in Health Policy in 1998 to design such health policy issue focusing on sixty-five and older people include other developed nation including United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada. They are more discussing on several health issues and provides insights into how well nations are doing in meeting the health and other basic needs of the elderly and the challenges that facing ahead.
People older than 65 years old count for 13% of 20 million Australian population and by 2050, it is expected to increase to nearly 22. 5% of total Australian population. By 2060, Australians will enjoy one of the longest life expectancies, 79 years for men and 84 years for women, projected to rise to 100 years
Multiple approaches by health policy makers in Australia tried to address the growing health care needs of an aging population and the related burden of noncommunicable conditions (NCDs). Generally, health sector activities can be divided into three main categories which are primary care provision, hospital services, and private health insurance. Public sector health fund has supported majority of health service on the first two categories, but the most importance thing emphasis to aging population including the prevention, management and treatment of chronic conditions. Another key mechanism to lessen the burden of public fund is through private health insurance, whereas many countries in the Asia Pacific region such as Philippines, India, Malaysia and others also rely extensively on private health insurance financing for health.
As mention earlier, the Australian health system is a mixed two-tiered system. Firstly, universal publicly funded tier, known as Medicare, which subsidizes primary care and fully funds hospital care. Secondly a voluntary private health insurance tier, which provides coverage for private hospital care and ancillary (non-General Practitioner) primary health services.
Aging population care service fall into several categories which are acute, subacute, community, and residential care sectors. Predominantly, residential aged care is provided by the nongovernmental sector, by religious, not- for-profit, and private sector providers. However, through the Aged Care Act 1997, the Australian federal government still governs all aspects of the provision of residential care, flexible care, and Community Aged Care Packages (CACP), including the licensing of aged care beds.
Many older Australians remain living independently at home, but sometimes there will most likely be occasions where community and/or acute services are needed. Most community aged care services are moving toward a strengths-based, person-centered approach to maintaining or improving the independence of older people, focusing on setting achievable goals in the realm of personal, domestic, and instrumental activities of daily living.
References
- Cubit, K. A. & Meyer, C. 2011. Aging in Australia. Gerontologist 51(5): 583-589.
- Karen Donelan, R. J. B. , Cathy Schoen, Katherine Binns, Robin Osborn, and Karen Davis. 2000. The Elderly Infive Nations: The Importance of Universal Coverage Surveys of elderly persons indicate that these nations’ policies to protect the elderly are functioning well.
- Mcpake, B. & Mahal, A. 2017. Addressing the Needs of an Aging Population in the Health System: The Australian Case. Health Syst Reform 3(3): 236-247.
- Oeppen, J. , & Vaupel, J. W. (2002). Broken limits to life expectancy. Science, 296, 1029–1031. doi:10. 1126/science. 1069675
