Aged Care Challenges and Solutions In Australia

This paper will examine some of the issues relating to the provision of community aged care in Australia.  It will outline the population trends and major issues that impact on the delivery of community aged care services.  The second part of the paper will assess some of the challenges raised by the Productivity Commission report (2011) into Aged Care.  Finally it will put forward some solutions that were not fully considered by the Productivity Commission report as a way forward to making the provision of community aged care more sustainable in Australia. 

Community aged care services in Australia will undergo significant change in the next four years. In 2012 the Australian government took over the funding and administration of Aged Care services and programs from the State governments.  It is anticipated that there will be major changes in the way that services are funded with an expected move to more consumer directed services and individual funding by July 2015.

Many community organisations that provide Community aged care services will have to adjust the way in which they provide services and how they market services to the older population.  In the last 20 years attitudes to residential care have also changed.  More older people are expected to choose to reside for longer within their own home and local community.  Australian Governments have recognised and encouraged the trend to remain at home.  Governments have supported it with increased funding for community based services and community aged care packages.  However, there remain significant challenges facing the Australian aged care system.