Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) – Health Establishment Component

The Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers - Health Establishment Component collects information about the health conditions of long-term occupants in health care and aged care establishments. The Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers also collects information from people living in households, which is later combined with the information collected from health establishments to ensure the survey provides a comprehensive picture of disability in Australia. A summary of the data collected in 2018 can be found by searching the ABS website for: Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2018 

The Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers – Health Establishment Component is conducted in two stages. It is currently at the first stage, where all known Australian health establishments which may provide accommodation to support long-term care are sent a Contact Information Form. This form asks health establishments to supply details of a contact person, along with information on the nature of the health establishment including its main function and the number of residents living in cared accommodation. Details from the form are used to determine whether an establishment is eligible for inclusion in Stage 2 of the survey. Only a sample of these establishments will be selected for Stage 2. An establishment included in Stage 2 will be asked to complete a questionnaire for a selection of long-term residents within their facility.

The SDAC is conducted in two stages. The first stage is an online form consisting of around 10 questions. At the second stage, the length of time that an establishment will take to complete the survey will depend on factors such as the number of occupants living in the establishment and the characteristics of those occupants. 

All health establishments in Australia that may have facilities to support long-term cared accommodation are required to provide data in the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers 2022 Stage 1. 

The list of establishments included in Stage 1 of the survey has been generated from a variety of government and non-government sources. These sources often contain insufficient detail to determine the functions of the establishment. Stage 1 seeks to ensure that only eligible establishments are included in Stage 2. 

The ABS considers the activities of small businesses or organisations to be as important as larger ones. Smaller businesses or organisations have specific characteristics and can be impacted differently by government policies and incentives. They need to be included to ensure that small business needs are taken into account. 

Yes. The Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides the ABS with the authority to ask these questions, and you are required to provide the information requested by the ABS. The Act ensures that information is kept strictly confidential and only used for statistical purposes. 

No. There is no provision within the Census and Statistics Act 1905 to reimburse individuals, businesses or organisations for the cost of providing statistical information. In line with other national statistical organisations throughout the world, individuals, businesses and other organisations are asked to supply information for statistical purposes without compensation. It is only with the support of people like you that we can continue to produce the statistics that inform Australia's important decisions. 

Your participation in this survey is an opportunity to make a real difference. The Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers collects important information about the health of long-term occupants living in health establishments. The information you provide will help to shape policies and services which improve the lives of all Australians.

The results from the overall survey are used extensively by government and non-government agencies, researchers, academics and health professionals to:

• plan and provide services for people with disabilities;
• understand the needs of an ageing population in Australia;
• balance the provision of formal care with the support of informal care for people in need

We take the security of the information you provide to us very seriously. Your completed form and personal information will remain strictly confidential to the ABS. The information is used to calculate statistics and these are only released in the form of aggregated data.

The information in this survey is collected under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905. Under the Act, staff of the ABS are obliged to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of information provided.

We comply with the Australian Privacy Principles. If you believe we have breached these principles, please see the information on how to lodge a complaint about privacy matters, contained within our privacy policy. 

The Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers is conducted in two stages, and it is currently at the first stage, where we ask health establishments to complete an online form. If you have received a letter from us with a Form Access Code, you can access and complete your survey form online using that code. Go online to our ABS Survey Account, set up an account, or if you already have one, log in, and then add your Form Access Code to retrieve the form. If you are unable to complete your survey online, or have not received the letter we sent you, please call us on 1800 221 077 and one of our team will be happy to assist you. 

For more information on completing our surveys online, help is available on our Survey Account Help page. This page provides assistance with technical difficulties and includes frequently asked questions which assist in creating and using the ABS Survey Account.

If you are having trouble creating or accessing your account, completing the survey online, or have lost your Form Access Code, please call us on 1800 221 077 and one of our team will be happy to assist you.

If you would like more general information about participating in one of our surveys, please see our Survey Participant Information page. 

As your information is important to the ABS, we are happy to discuss an extension to the original due date. To request an extension please contact the ABS on 1800 221 077. 

If you have received a reminder letter about completing a survey, it is likely that you have returned the survey at the same time as we issued your reminder notice. If you wish to confirm this, please call one of our team on 1800 221 077 and we will check the information against our records.

We provide statistics free of charge on our website. Statistics produced from the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers are published in Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia. 

You can call us on 1800 221 077 between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. If you call us outside these hours, please leave a message with your contact details and we will return your call as soon as possible.

You can also use our online Business Surveys Contact Form to outline the details of your situation and we will be in touch.