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Residential aged care in Australia 2008-09 provides information about the residential aged care industry in Australia over the period 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009. It is the twelfth report about residential aged care in the Aged care statistics series produced by the Ageing and Aged Care Unit of the AIHW under an agreement with the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA).

Style and content revised

This year the style and content of the Residential aged care in Australia series was reviewed. Stakeholders for this report provided a range of suggestions regarding content, style and analysis, of which a large number were implemented. The ability to implement suggestions was limited by available resources. However, the full body of ideas collated in the planning of this report remains a resource for future reports in this series.

This year’s report is intended to present data in a simplified way through expanded use of figures, simplified language and case stories to provide examples and give context to the information provided.

Each volume in the series contains data on:

  • population and residential aged care service capacity;
  • residents and their characteristics (permanent and respite residents);
  • admissions and separations;
  • new residents and their characteristics; and
  • resident dependency

New topics in the 2008–09 edition include:  

  • extra Service places
  • expenditure
  • older residents (aged 90 years and over),
  • ageing in place,
  • transition from respite to permanent care,
  • dementia and mental illness in residential aged care.

Availability of online data

This year is the publication is supported by online ‘data cubes’. These are interactive tables that allow variables to be added and manipulated to provide specific information that the user requests. These data presentations are available online and provide specific data contained within this report.

About previous editions

The first report in the series for the 1997-98 financial year followed a series of changes to the structure of aged care services under the Aged Care Act 1997, whereby the former nursing home and hostel sectors were unified. This allowed providers to offer both high and low care and allowed residents to age in place.

Prior to this, data on residential aged care had been published initially by the then Australian Government Department of Health and Family Services (Nursing Homes for the Aged: A Statistical Overview and Hostels for the Aged: A Statistical Overview) and subsequently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare through separate publications for nursing homes and hostels.

Time series tables are a feature of all reports, particularly from 2002-03.

Residential aged care in Australia series

Residential aged care in Australia 2008-09: a statistical overview

Residential aged care in Australia 2008-09: a statistical overview provides comprehensive statistical information on residential aged care facilities and services, their residents, admissions and separations, and residents' dependency levels. At 30 June 2009, there were over 178,000 residential aged care places, an increase of 1.6% compared with 30 June 2008. Almost 82,000 permanent residents (59%) had a recorded diagnosis of dementia at 30 June 2009. Other recorded health conditions affecting residents included circulatory diseases (42,000 residents) and diseases of the musculoskeletal and connective tissue (26,800 residents).

Residential aged care in Australia 2007-08: a statistical overview

Residential aged care in Australia 2007-08: a statistical overview provides comprehensive statistical information on the 2,080 residential aged care homes and their 160,250 residents at 30 June 2008. 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 year is particularly significant with the change over from the Resident Classification Scale to the Aged Care Funding Instrument for the appraisal and funding of residents.

Residential aged care in Australia 2006-07: a statistical overview

Residential aged care in Australia 2006-07: 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.

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

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.

Residential aged care in Australia 2004-05: a statistical overview

Residential aged care in Australia 2004-05: a statistical overview provides comprehensive statistical information on residential aged care services and their residents. The report contains information onthe capacity of residential aged care services, 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.

Residential aged care in Australia 2003-04: a statistical overview

Residential Aged Care in Australia 2003-04: A Statistical Overview provides comprehensive statistical information on residential aged care services and their residents. The report contains information onthe capacity of residential aged care services, 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.

Residential aged care in Australia 2002-03: a statistical overview

This report presents statistics on the Australian residential aged care system over the period 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. It is the sixth such report in the Aged Care Statistics Series produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, under an agreement with the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. The report contains sections on population and residential aged care service capacity; residents and their characteristics; admissions and separations; characteristics of newly admitted residents; and resident dependency.

Residential aged care in Australia 2001-02: a statistical overview

The report provides comprehensive statistical information on residential aged care services and their residents. The report contains information on the capacity of residential aged care services, 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.

Residential aged care in Australia 2000-01: a statistical overview

Residential Aged Care in Australia 2000-01: 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, level 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.

Residential aged care in Australia 1999-00: a statistical overview

Provides comprehensive statistical information on aged care homes and their residents. The report contains information on the capacity of aged care homes, their residents and resident characteristics, levels of dependency among residents, and admissions and separations.This report will be particularly useful to aged care planners, providers of residential aged care, and researchers in the field.

Residential aged care facilities in Australia 1998-99: a statistical overview

Provides comprehensive statistical information on Australian nursing homes and hostels. The reports focus on the characteristics of hostel and nursing home residents and the patterns of use of these services (including length of stay, admissions and separations). Reports in this series are particularly useful to aged care service planners, providers of aged care services and researchers in the field.

Nursing homes in Australia series

Nursing Home Statistics for 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994-95

This composite set of nursing home statistics for 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994-95 is an internet release only and is available on the AIHW's website at: http://www.aihw.gov.au

Nursing homes in Australia 1996-97: a statistical overview

Provides comprehensive statistical information on Australian nursing homes and their residents for 1996-97. The report presents statistics on the capacity of nursing homes and the numbers of admissions and separations. It also provides information on nursing home residents and their characteristics and levels of dependency.

Hostels in Australia series

Hostels in Australia 1996-97: a statistical overview

Provides comprehensive statistical information on hostels in Australia and their residents for 1996-97. The report gives data on the capacity of hostels and admissions and separations. It also gives data on hostel residents and their characteristics and levels of dependency. This report will be useful to aged care service planners, providers of aged care services and researchers in the field.