Aged Care

The goal of the Australian aged care service delivery system is the provision of a cohesive framework of high quality and cost-effective care services for frail older people and their carers (DHFS 1996:117). Accordingly, this chapter focuses on three sets of information that are essential to the task of reviewing progress towards the achievement of that goal: • the need for services and assistance (Section 6.2); • the amount and type of services and assistance being provided and the characteristics of the clients to whom they are being provided (Section 6.3); and • the outcomes of those services and assistance (Section 6.4). The range of services and assistance available to older people in Australia is extensive and by no means all such provisions are included in this chapter. For example, programs concerned with healthy ageing, hospital care, medical care, pharmaceuticals and housing are not included. Moreover, although it is common to view aged care only in terms of programs aimed specifically at older people, it must be remembered that older people are also eligible for, and make use of, various benefits and services that are available to the general population. This chapter focuses on the services and assistance designed to provide care for frail and disabled older people and on the services and assistance available to those who care for them. This includes services and assistance provided in both domiciliary and residential care settings, and the assessment programs and regulatory practices associated with those services. These services are funded and/or provided by Commonwealth, State and Territory, and local governments, the not-for-profit sector and the private for-profit sector. In addition, extensive informal assistance is provided by family and friends who care for older people in both residential and domiciliary settings.