Abstract
In the light of various complaints about the quality of care provided by and operation of aged care facilities across Australia, the Commonwealth Government has announced a Royal Commission into the activities of the sector. As the proportion of Australians over 65 continues to grow with the ageing of the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation, more Australians are seeking secure aged care arrangements to meet their increasingly complex living and healthcare needs. We hear much comment today about the concept of healthy ageing and the importance of older people staying connected to and active in their communities. Not only does this ongoing connectivity support better lifestyles and health status, it provides an avenue for older people to contribute to the support of others once their more formal working lives are concluded. Unfortunately, the gap between the rhetoric and the reality of ageing in Australia is strained and it appears that much about the operations of the aged care sector today is less than satisfactory. While some well-funded retirees can afford comfortable and fulfilling living arrangements, many others are left in less ideal circumstances. With aged care organisations currently building the next generation of ‘hotel’ style living arrangements for cashed up self-funded retirees, others are being left behind financially and in terms of the quality of their care. At the same time, maltreatment and abuse of residents is coming to light, as in the ‘Oakden Nursing Home’ situation in South Australia, for example. Consequently, the Federal Government has now launched a formal inquiry into the activities of organisations running aged care facilities in Australia. The inquiry is designed to assess the operation of this industry with a focus on the economics of aged care centres, the quality of care, the food and recreational activities provided and the challenge of staffing these facilities to keep residents safe and well as they age in dignity.
Highlights
BackgroundThe retiree cohort in Australia comprised a small proportion of the overall population
In previous generations, the retiree cohort in Australia comprised a small proportion of the overall population
Today the situation is very different with the retired population making up an increasingly large proportion of the overall Australian population and with more and more ageing Australians living in institutional care
Summary
The retiree cohort in Australia comprised a small proportion of the overall population. If staff were paid better, schools, hospitals and aged care facilities alike would become unsustainable under the current operating models If these places were staffed well with highly qualified and well-paid practitioners, they would cost too much to run and neither governments nor private consumers would be prepared to pay this price, especially in a ‘for profit’ driven economy. Hitherto not for profit providers like church organisation with major real estate and land holdings are turning this real estate into profit, possibly to balance the deficit side of their social commitment ledger This process locks the consumer out of accrual of capital gains in the aged care market while at the same time, the day to day management and care of the more dependent residents is closely managed to avoid recurrent cost over-runs. There are due to work pressures and skill constraints, increasing numbers of incidents of sub-standard treatment and abuse of elderly residents who become frustrated with their situation and difficult to manage and placing increasing demands and stresses upon already overworked staff
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