The Commonwealth Government's 2011 target of 88 operational
residential aged care places for every 1,000 people aged 70 years
and older is already close to being met, according to a report
released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
(AIHW).
'The actual provision ratio as at 30 June 2008 has been
calculated at 87.7,' said Ann Peut, Head of the Institute's Ageing
and Aged Care Unit.
The Residential Aged Care in Australia 2007-08 report
also shows that the trend towards fewer but larger facilities is
continuing, and that length of stay for permanent residents is
continuing to rise.
At the end of June 2008 there were around 175,500 beds in
operation in Australia, almost 5,500 more than the previous
year.
During 2007-08 there were over 105,000 admissions to residential
aged care compared with almost 103,200 the previous year.
Almost half the admissions were for respite care, which had an
average length of stay of just over 3 weeks.
The average length of stay for permanent residents who left
residential aged care during 2007-08 (most commonly because they
died) was 148 weeks. It was about 146 weeks in 2006-07, and 131
weeks in 1998-99.
The report includes new data from the Aged Care Funding
Instrument (ACFI) which was implemented in March 2008. The ACFI is
used to measure residents' need for care rather than the care
provided, and enables, for the first time, reporting of health
conditions affecting permanent residents.
At 30 June 2008 just over three-quarters of the 47,000 residents
with an ACFI appraisal were classified as high care. Almost half
the 47,000 had a recorded diagnosis of dementia.
Other recorded health conditions affecting ACFI-assessed
residents included circulatory diseases (14,000 residents), and
diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (8,200
residents).
Friday 19 June 2009
Further information: Ms Ann Peut, AIHW, tel. 02
6244 1108, mob. 0419 296 053
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. (02) 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications area
for the availability of Residential Aged Care in
Australia 2007-08.