The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has a much younger age structure (see Glossary) than the non-Indigenous population, due to higher rates of fertility and deaths occurring at younger ages (see Profile of Indigenous Australians). However, as with the general population, the Indigenous population is also ageing.
Access to aged care services (see Glossary) in Australia is determined by need, rather than age. However, planning for aged care services takes into account the specific needs of the Indigenous population aged 50 and over and the non-Indigenous population aged 65 and over (Department of Health 2020a). A broader age group is used for Indigenous Australians because of their greater need for care at a younger age compared with non-Indigenous Australians.
This page focuses on Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over and their use of aged care services. See also the Aged care and “Chapter 8, Understanding older people’s journey through aged care – the story in the data” in Australia’s welfare 2021: data insights.
Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over
Projections from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census of Population and Housing (Series B) estimate around 155,000 Indigenous Australians were aged 50 and over in 2021. This includes about:
- 107,100 aged 50–64
- 45,800 aged 65–84
- 2,100 aged 85 and over (ABS 2019).
Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over comprised:
- 18% of the Indigenous population (of all ages)
- 1.7% of the total Australian population aged 50 and over (ABS 2019, 2020).
In Australia, the aged care system offers options to meet the different care needs of individuals. To help ensure aged care services are appropriate to the needs of all people, the Aged Care Act 1997 designates some groups of people as ‘people with special needs’. Indigenous Australians are one such group (Aged Care Act 1997: s11–3). For Indigenous Australians, challenges for the aged care system include ensuring access to culturally appropriate care, especially for those living in Remote and Very remote areas (ANAO 2017). In 2019, the Australian Government published Actions to support older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, developed under the Aged Care Diversity Framework. These outline actions to support more inclusive and culturally appropriate care for Indigenous Australians (Department of Health 2019b).
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has also identified areas of importance in providing aged care to Indigenous Australians.
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
In its Final Report, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have specific needs in accessing aged care. The report makes recommendations regarding:
- the importance of culturally appropriate and safe care – including growing the Indigenous aged care workforce through targeted programs and providing interpreter services for Indigenous languages
- the requirement for trauma-informed approaches to providing care, particularly with members of the Stolen Generations
- the need to increase facilitation of provision of care on Country (or with options to return to Country where this is not possible)
- the potential to integrate aged care with existing Indigenous organisations such as healthcare providers, disability services and social service providers (RCACQS 2021).
In response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, the Australian Government will invest $572.5 million to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive quality and culturally safe aged care services, can access advice to make informed decisions about their care, and are treated with dignity and respect. This includes the funding of 250 Indigenous Australians to provide support and assistance in navigating the aged care system, upgrading services (including adding facilities to connect residential facilities with communities on Country), additional funding for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Care Services, and improved translation and interpreting services (Department of Health 2021a).
Data on the use of aged care by Indigenous Australians are available from the AIHW National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse. Considering the main types of government-subsidised aged care, among Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over, about:
- 21,800 received home support during 2019–20. This is entry-level support provided through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, aimed at helping people manage independently at home for as long as possible
- 3,400 were receiving home care at 30 June 2020. This is a coordinated package of care and services, from basic through to high-level support, based on need, provided through the Home Care Packages Program
- 1,900 were receiving residential aged care at 30 June 2020. This means staying in a residential aged care facility, on a respite or longer-term basis.
Indigenous Australians using residential aged care tended to be older than those using home care or home support (Figure 1). For example, over half (51%) of Indigenous Australians in residential aged care were aged 75 and over, compared with 34% using home care, and 26% using home support.
It should be noted that Indigenous status was not stated for more than one-third (36%) of home care clients at June 2020, so home care data should be interpreted with caution.