Publications on ageing and aged care

Hospitalisation due to falls in older people, Australia 2003-04

Injury research and statistics series no. 32

This report examines Australian hospital data pertaining to fall injuries in people aged 65 and older in 2003-04. The number of fall events resulting in hospitalisation due to injury for older Australians remains high and the rate of fall-related injury incidents is particularly high for the oldest group within this population. Women are at greatest risk of fall-related injury. Fall incidents most commonly result in a fracture and hip fractures are particularly frequent. This report also highlights that a substantial proportion of fall-related injuries are injuries to the head, which may require more specifically-targeted prevention interventions. Multiple hospital separations due to a single fall incident substantially add to the burden of disease for older Australians. Separations principally involving follow-up care, rehabilitation and other fall-related conditions contributed 136% more bed-days than those occupied due to initial episodes due to fall injury incidents and brought the total number of fall-related hospital bed-days for people aged 65 and older in 2003-04 to over 1.2 million. The estimated total cost for fall-related acute care in Australian hospitals for people aged 65 and older in 2003-04 was $566.0 million. This represents a substantial proportion of the burden of disease and health expenditure for this population and suggests that the lifetime cost of falls in older people may be substantially higher than has been previously calculated.

Authored by Bradley C & Harrison J.

Published 4 July 2007; ISSN 1444-3791; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 675 0; AIHW cat. no. INJCAT 96; 81pp.; $30.00

Aged care packages in the community 2005-06: a statistical overview

Aged care statistics series no. 25

Aged care packages in the community 2005-06: A statistical overview presents key statistics on the levels of service provision of the Australian Government funded aged care packages. The programs providing these packages are the Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) Program, the Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) Program and the Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACH Dementia) Program. Previously published annually under the title Community Aged Care Packages in Australia, the new title reflects the expansion of the publication to include information on recipients of all three of these types of community age care packages. Detailed statistics on the socio-demographic characteristics of care recipients and the patterns of the recipients’ admissions and separations are provided. In addition, for the first time this report includes information on carers of EACH and EACH Dementia care recipients. The data presented in this report are a useful resource for those involved in policy development, policy review and the planning of aged care services, with a specific interest in these packages.

Authored by AIHW.

Published 21 June 2007; ISSN 1325-6035; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 695 8; AIHW cat. no. AGE 55; 116pp.; $25.00

Residential aged care in Australia 2005-06: a statistical overview

Aged care statistics series no. 24

Residential aged care in Australia 2005-06: a statistical overview provides comprehensive statistical information on residential aged care homes and their residents. The report contains information on the capacity of residential aged care homes, their residents and resident characteristics, levels of dependency among residents, and admissions and separations. The report will be particularly useful to aged care service planners, providers of aged care services, and researchers in the field.

Authored by AIHW.

Published 15 June 2007; ISSN 1329-5705; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 691 0; AIHW cat. no. AGE 54; 85pp.; $27.00

Fall-related hospitalisations among older people: sociocultural and regional aspects

Injury research and statistics series no. 33

The ageing of the Australian population has enlarged the population at high risk of fall-related injury and population projections imply substantial increase in years to come. A large proportion of Australia's older population were born overseas and changing migration patterns following the Second World War have resulted in an older population which is becoming highly culturally and linguistically diverse. This report examines fall-related hospitalisations for people aged 65 and older for the years 2000-03 according to country of birth and place of usual residence.

Authored by AIHW National Injury Surveillance Unit.

Published 14 May 2007; ISSN 1444-3791; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 681 1; AIHW cat. no. INJCAT 97; 55pp.; INTERNET ONLY

Dementia in Australia: national data analysis and development

Drawing together a wide range of data sources, the 'Dementia in Australia: national data analysis and development' report presents a profile of the Australian population with dementia, as well as discussing the characteristics and experiences of those caring for them. The report investigates current and projected prevalence and incidence of dementia, use of health and care services by those with dementia, and presents a new methodology for calculating expenditure on services associated with dementia. The evidence base about dementia in Australia is weakened by the variable quality and consistency of available data. The report also describes the sorts of data items recommended to improve the collection of dementia data.

Authored by AIHW.

Published 31 January 2007; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 639 2; AIHW cat. no. AGE 53; 335pp.; OUT OF PRINT

National evaluation of the Aged Care Innovative Pool Disability Aged Care Interface Pilot: final report

Aged care series no. 12

Nine projects were established under the Aged Care Innovative Pool Disability Aged Care Interface Pilot to trial new approaches to community-based aged care for people with disabilities who experience an increased need for support due to ageing. The projects have targeted eligible people living in supported accommodation facilities funded under the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement. Throughout 2004 and 2005, the AIHW evaluated the projects in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. The evaluation gathered information about the ageing-related needs of Pilot clients, the service activity profiles of projects, and evidence on individual outcomes and care experiences. This information is made available to inform policy discussions concerning the interface between national disability support and aged care programs.

Authored by Hales C, Ross L & Ryan C.

Published 6 October 2006; ISSN 1325-6035; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 611 8; AIHW cat. no. AGE 50; 322pp.; $37.00

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can together be described as obstructive lung disease. This report examines recent data on deaths and hospitalisations among people aged 55 years and over when asthma or COPD are recorded as one of multiple causes of death or hospital diagnoses. The aim is to describe the extent of obstructive lung disease among older Australians, to assess the possibility of misclassification between asthma and COPD and to investigate the association between these diseases and other conditions.

Authored by Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring.

Published 6 September 2006; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 606 4; AIHW cat. no. ACM 7; 36pp.; $20.00

National evaluation of the Retirement Villages Care Pilot: final report

Aged care series no. 11

An Australian Government initiative, the Retirement Villages Care Pilot (RVCP ) has trialled the provision of flexible care packages into retirement villages in metropolitan, regional and rural locations across Australia. The evaluation found that RVCP packages deliver a more comprehensive range of services than Community Aged Care Packages, and are able to deliver service levels ranging from a low-level HACC service of one type of assistance up to that of a typical Extended Aged Care at Home package, or higher.

Authored by Hales C, Ross L & Ryan C.

Published 8 August 2006; ISSN 1325-6025; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 583 8; AIHW cat. no. AGE 49; 320pp.; OUT OF PRINT

National evaluation of the Aged Care Innovative Pool Dementia Pilot: final report

Aged care series no. 10

The evaluation report describes the range of new care choices for older Australians with dementia and their carers that emerged from the Innovative Pool Dementia Pilot and presents evidence that these new service offerings have helped clients to remain at home for as long as possible.

Authored by Hales C, Ross L & Ryan C.

Published 28 July 2006; ISSN 1325-6025; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 589 0; AIHW cat. no. AGE 48; 468pp.; $45.00

The ins and outs of residential respite care

AIHW bulletin no. 43

Residential respite care is central to the aged care system, with many people who use community care programs also accessing residential respite care, and many people entering permanent residential aged care having previously used such respite care. This bulletin examines a number of questions that are of interest when looking at how residential respite care fits into the aged care system

Authored by Karmel R.

Published 26 July 2006; ISSN 1446-9820; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 591 3; AIHW cat. no. AUS 80; 20pp.; $10.00