The trajectory of decline : A quantitative study to identify variations in the longitudinal functional profile of an Australian nursing home population

TL;DRAbstract

Population ageing is a public health success story. However, the perceived pressures that the arrival of the 'baby boomer' generation will demand of the health system, coupled with the financial implications of a shrinking tax base, are cause for concern. By 2056 it is estimated that a quarter of Australians will be 65 years and older, double the current proportion. Concurrently demand for residential aged care services will also increase. In Australia, aged care services are funded by the Australian Government via subsidies paid to service providers, based on the assessed care level required by each eligible client. The level of this subsidy is based on a validated measure of the resident's care needs that is assessed on admission to an aged care facility and then, at a minimum, annually thereafter. Residential aged care is the principal consumer of the aged care budget and it is predicted that costs will increase with the increasing proportion of aged in the population. Approximately

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