4106.1 - Population Ageing in New South Wales, 2008, Dec 2008 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/12/2008  First Issue
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CARE AND SUPPORT

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Care in the Home
5.3 Cared Accommodation

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5.1 INTRODUCTION

The growing number of older people in our society is expected to lead to an increase in demand for care and support services.

Over recent years there has been a focus on providing care to people in their own homes rather than in institutional settings. This is in response to the preference of most people to continue to live at home in the community.

There are a number of Government funded programs that provide care and support to people in the community. The largest is the Home and Community Care (HACC) program, which is a joint Australian, State and Territory Government initiative to help people in need. The HACC program helps frail older people and people with a disability, who would otherwise be prematurely or inappropriately admitted to residential care, to live independently in their own home.

Three smaller community care programs, funded by the Australian Government, assist people who have been found to be eligible for residential aged care. These programs are:

  • the Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) program, which provides support services for older people with complex needs living at home who would otherwise be eligible for admission to low-level residential care;
  • the Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) program, which aims to deliver care at home that is equivalent to high-level residential care; and
  • the Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACH Dementia) program, which provides the equivalent of high-level residential care in the home to frail older people who experience behaviours of concern and psychological symptoms associated with dementia.

In addition to community based care, aged care facilities continue to provide residential aged care to older people whose care needs mean they are no longer able to remain in their own homes.

This Chapter presents information on the people who are currently receiving community based or residential care through the programs outlined above.
5.2 CARE IN THE HOME

In 2006-07, people aged 65 years and over made up 80% of all HACC clients in NSW. The highest proportion of HACC clients were aged 85 years and over (25%), with more females than males using HACC services within this age group (26% and 21% respectively).

The proportion of HACC recipients living alone increased with age, from 34% of clients 65-74 years old to 48% of clients aged 85 years and over. The average hours of HACC services per month per client varied between 44 hours for persons 65-74 years and 48 hours for those aged 85 years and over.

5.1 HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE CLIENTS (HACC), By age and sex, NSW - 2006-07

Males
Females
Persons(a)
Males
Females
Persons(a)
Age group (years)
'000
'000
'000
%
%
%

0-49
8.9
11.3
20.4
12.4
8.2
9.6
50-54
2.1
3.2
5.4
2.9
2.4
2.5
55-59
2.9
4.4
7.4
4.0
3.2
3.5
60-64
3.9
6.2
10.2
5.5
4.5
4.8
65-69
5.3
9.4
14.9
7.4
6.9
7.0
70-74
7.7
14.4
22.4
10.8
10.5
10.6
75-79
12.3
23.2
36.0
17.2
16.9
17.0
80-84
13.5
28.8
43.0
18.7
21.0
20.3
85 and over
15.2
36.1
52.0
21.1
26.3
24.6
Total persons
71.9
137.2
211.7
100.0
100.0
100.0

(a) Includes clients whose sex was unknown.
Source: Home and Community Care Minimum Dataset, Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, 2006-07.


Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) and Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) services provide support to people in the community instead of in a residential aged care setting. In 2007, most recipients of both types of packages were aged 75 years and over (83% of CACP clients and 74% of EACH clients). The majority of recipients aged 75 years and over were females (75% of CACP and 65% of EACH clients).

5.2 COMMUNITY BASED AGED CARE PACKAGE RECIPIENTS, By age and sex, NSW(a) - 2007

Community Aged Care Packages (CACP)
Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH)
Males
Females
Persons
Males
Females
Persons
Males
Females
Persons
Males
Females
Persons
no.
no.
no.
%
%
%
no.
no.
no.
%
%
%

Age group (years)
0-49
16
33
49
0.5
0.4
0.4
3
3
6
0.9
0.5
0.6
50-54
32
35
67
1.0
0.4
0.6
4
4
8
1.1
0.7
0.8
55-59
54
76
130
1.7
0.9
1.1
1
6
7
0.3
1.0
0.7
60-64
96
176
272
3.0
2.0
2.3
10
20
30
2.8
3.3
3.1
65-69
197
391
588
6.2
4.4
4.9
26
47
73
7.4
7.6
7.5
70-74
295
676
971
9.2
7.7
8.1
61
68
129
17.3
11.1
13.3
75-79
540
1 355
1 895
16.9
15.4
15.8
94
102
196
26.7
16.6
20.3
80-84
728
2 273
3 001
22.8
25.9
25.0
55
122
177
15.6
19.8
18.3
85-89
761
2 262
3 023
23.8
25.7
25.2
55
116
171
15.6
18.9
17.7
90-94
397
1 204
1 601
12.4
13.7
13.4
35
91
126
9.9
14.8
13.0
95 and over
83
306
389
2.6
3.5
3.2
8
36
44
2.3
5.9
4.6
Total persons
3 199
8 787
11 986
100.0
100.0
100.0
352
615
967
100.0
100.0
100.0

(a) NSW is the location of the outlet providing the service.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Aged care packages in the community, 2006-07, Aged Care Statistics Series Number 27, August 2008.
5.3 CARED ACCOMMODATION

Since 1996, the number of people aged 65 years and over living in hostels for the disabled, nursing homes and retirement villages has increased. On the other hand, the number of people aged 65 years and over living in accommodation for the retired or aged (not self-contained) has decreased.

5.3 PERSONS AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER LIVING IN SELECTED ACCOMMODATION(a), NSW

1996
2001
2006
1996
2001
2006
no.
no.
no.
%
%
%

Nursing home(b)
26 666
27 259
32 923
40.1
37.5
38.7
Accommodation for the retired or aged (not self-contained)(c)
19 646
18 618
18 126
29.5
25.6
21.3
Retirement village (self-contained)
18 918
25 439
32 340
28.4
35.0
38.0
Hostel for the disabled
728
1 021
1 186
1.1
1.4
1.4
Psychiatric hospital or institution
419
318
343
0.6
0.4
0.4
Hostel for homeless, night shelter, refuge
194
66
84
0.3
0.1
0.1
Persons aged 65 years and over living in selected accommodation
66 571
72 721
85 002
100.0
100.0
100.0
Total persons aged 65 years and over
762 902
828 475
901 717
. .
. .
. .

. . not applicable
(a) Based on location on Census night. Excludes overseas visitors.
(b) Includes high level care accommodation.
(c) Includes low level care accommodation.
Source: ABS data available on request, Census of Population and Housing.


In NSW in 2006, 32,923 people aged 65 years and over spent Census night in a nursing home; an increase of 23% since 1996. The growth, between 1996 and 2006, of the number of older people living in other types of accommodation may partly explain the comparatively small growth in the proportion of the older population in nursing homes. For example, in the 10 years to 2006 there was a 71% increase in the number of people aged 65 years and over living in retirement villages.

5.4 Persons aged 65 years and over in selected accommodation, NSW
Graph: 5.4 Persons aged 65 years and over in selected accommodation, NSW

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