During the 2010 election campaign Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated that "if re-elected, further aged care reform will be a second term priority". With the recent budget announcements and the release of the draft report, "Caring for Older Australians", we take a look at whether she has delivered on her promise, and why aged care reform is important.

Australia, like many Western countries, has a rapidly ageing population. It is estimated that by 2050 the number of:

• People aged 65-84 years will have more than doubled
• Elderly aged 85 years and over will quadruple to 1.8 million
• Children will increase by 45%
• Working age people will increase by only 44%

Tags: Management, Budgets, Aged Care, Community Health, Economic Issues, Professional Issues, Nursing
Published: June 06, 2011

Are you interested in working in home care, but aren't quite sure what home care entails? Healthcare professionals who work in home care strive to help people maintain their independence for as long as possible by caring for them in their own homes. The world's population is ageing, has a longer life expectancy, and many suffer chronic health conditions. It has become apparent there are not sufficient resources to care for elderly people in public or private institutions. Home care is a cost-effective way to provide the necessary care for our elderly population.

Tags: Community Health, Aged Care, Spirituality, Patient Care
Published: April 15, 2011

Health literacy in the elderly is crucial in terms of helping older adults to maintain their current health status. Studies have shown that “inadequate literacy is an independent risk factor for hospital admissions, lower use of preventative services and lower self-reported health status along with activity related limitations” (Kay & Al-Assaf, 2006).

Tags: Preventative health
Published: January 16, 2011

Elder abuse is defined by the World Health Organisation as "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person" (WHO, 2010). Elder abuse can take many forms, including financial, physical, psychological and even sexual abuse. Neglect is a form of abuse and may be either intentional or unintentional.

Tags: Elder Abuse, Patient Safety, Minimising Risk, Aged Care
Published: December 01, 2010

When implementing health promotion strategies for the elderly population, nurses must keep in mind that teaching techniques must be modified to address changes in cognition that may occur as a result of aging. Gerogogy can be defined as a model to teach older adults based on Knowles’ Adult Learning theory. Teaching interventions adhering to this theory help to address common changes of ageing, including sensory, physical and cognitive issues.