Two of the main service streams within Australia's aged care system are:
Community aged care programs are designed to provide alternatives to residential aged care with a mixture of individually-tailored care options to accommodate the diversity of needs and requirements of older Australians. Community aged care has strong connections to residential aged care, with many community care programs specifically designed to enable older people to live in the community for as long as possible. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare focuses reporting on three Australian Government funded community and aged care programs, providing:
- Low-level care: Community Aged Care Packages (CACP)
- High-level care: Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD)
Broadly speaking, CACP are equivalent to low-care in a residential aged care facility. At 30 June 2011, there were over 41,000 CACP clients, and these clients generally had the oldest age profile, with a median age of 84 years.
During 2010–11, there were 20,953 admissions to CACP and 20,064 separations (the point where a client stops receiving community aged care from a provider), compared to 20,833 admissions and 18,776 separations in 2009–10.
In about 5 in 10 cases where a client stopped receiving services, the client moved into residential aged care. Around 2 in 10 were able to remain in community care until death, and did not transition into residential aged care.
Broadly speaking, EACH and EACHD are equivalent to high-level care in a residential aged care facility. At 30 June 2011, there were almost 7,000 EACH clients and almost 3,000 EACHD clients.
The median age for EACH clients was 82 years, and 83 years for EACHD clients.
During 2010–11, there were over 5,000 admissions to EACH and almost 3,500 separations. For EACHD services, there were over 2,500 admissions and almost 2,000 separations. 6 in 10 EACH and EACHD clients were women, compared with 7 in 10 CACP clients, reflecting the gender balance in the older Australian population.
About 5 in 10 people leaving EACH packages moved in residential aged care, compared to almost 7 in 10 people leaving EACHD packages.
3 in 10 people receiving an EACH package were able to remain in community care until death, compared with 2 in 10 EACHD clients.
Residential aged care
At 30 June 2011, 7 in 10 residential aged care clients were women, consistent with population data. The age profile for residential aged care clients differed by gender—6 in 10 female residents were aged 85 years and over, compared with 4 in 10 male residents.
The Australian Government funds aged care facilities to provide care to older Australians whose care requirements can no longer be met within their own homes. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare focuses reporting on two types of residential aged care:
- Permanent residential aged care
- Residential respite aged care
Permanent care
Permanent care is offered at two levels, low-care and high-care, depending on the results of a needs assessment. Assessments focus on a person's physical, medical, psychological, cultural and social needs. Permanent residents receiving low-care require accommodation and personal care; while residents receiving high-care require 24-hour nursing care and accommodation in addition to their other care needs.
During 2010–11, there were over 118,000 admissions to residential aged care and over 115,000 separations, compared to almost 58,000 admissions and just over 54,000 separations in 2009–10. Of the 2010–11 admissions, almost 59,000 were for permanent care, with just under 56,500 separations.
At 30 June 2011, there were over 169,000 residents in mainstream residential aged care services, an increase of 1.6% over the previous year—just over 165,000 were receiving permanent care.
9 in 10 residents remained in permanent residential care until death—the remaining residents returned to the community, moved to alternative residential services or transferred to hospital care.
Respite care
Residential respite care is short-term care in aged care facilities. It is available on a planned or emergency basis to older people who intend returning to their own home yet need residential aged care on a temporary basis. It supports older people in transition stages of health, as well as being used by carers to provide them with a break from their caring duties. Residential respite care is provided on either a low-care or high-care basis.
Of the 118,000 admissions to residential aged care during 2010–11, over 59,000 were for respite care.
At 30 June 2011, almost 4,000 Australians were receiving respite care (making up 2% of all admissions to residential aged care during 2010–11).
Fewer than 1 in 10 respite residents separated due to death, with just under two thirds returning to the community and 17% transferring to other residential care.
There were just over 59,000 separations from residential respite aged care during 2010–11.