new report examines older Australians' pathways through aged care
7 Sep 2011
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reflections
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family
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wellbeing
The decision to consider an aged care facility for a family member or friend is an emotionally difficult one, however a new report issued by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) suggests that older Australians are generally not following the recommendations given to them through aged care assessments.
The report, Pathways in aged care: do people follow recommendations? looks at the care pathways of older Australians through the aged care system for 2 years following their first assessment for aged care services.
AIHW spokesperson Dr Phil Anderson said, ‘Before people can access certain aged care programs, they need to undertake an Aged Care Assessment, where recommendations are also made on the preferred setting for care - either in the person’s home or in permanent residential aged care,’
He added, 'The care needs of people can vary considerably when they first seek assistance from a government program, and so even at this early stage different people require different services - from limited assistance in a community care program to high-level care in a residential facility.’
So, the results of the report suggest that while older people are considering the use of aged care facilities, many are reluctant to go through with it - possibly a testament to the cost of these facilities and the lack of funding previously made available. It also suggests that 'older people who used community care while they were in their own home were least likely to enter permanent care within 2 years of undergoing an Aged Care Assessment.'
The report also concluded that;
~ 54% of people who were recommended to live in low-level residential aged care, who hadn’t used either residential respite or community care, ended up accessing permanent residential aged care within 6 months.
However,
~ 26% of people who were recommended to live in low-level residential aged care, who used both residential respite and community care, accessed permanent residential aged care within 6 months.
Some older people who underwent an Aged Care Assessment did not use aged care services in the 2 years after their first assessment. For example, one in six (17%) of those recommended to live in low-level residential care did not do so in the two years after their first assessment.
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The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is a major national agency set up by the Australian Government to provide reliable, regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia's health and welfare.