Ageing Population In Australia Essay

Life expectancy in Australia has been increasing steadily. The obvious result is being seen in the number and proportion of pensioners in Australia. The aging population with chronic diseases and disabilities, places a increased expectations and demand for health services and staffing shortages. Furthermore, an ageing population pose long term challenges in economic growth, living standards and government investments.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the present median age of Australian population is 37.3 years (30 June 2013) which has increased by 4.3 years over the last two decades, from 33.0 years at 30 June 1993. The proportion of people aged 65 years and over has increased from 11.6% to 14.4% at the same period of time. The percentage of population aged 85 years and over has almost doubled from 1.0% of the population at 30 June 1993 to 1.9% of the total population at 30 June 2013. Within this time frame the number of centenarians (persons aged 100 years and over) has increased by 271%. The Intergenerational Report (2010) has predicted that the older population (65 to 84 years) is expected to more than double and very old people (85 and more) is expected to

Senior citizens are likely to be admitted to hospitals more often than younger adults. The likelihood of co-morbidity that increases with age; makes their health care more complex, requiring specialist assessment, intensive treatment and supportive carafe services prolonging their hospital stay. The increased demand of health services has caused escalation in health expenses as well as staff shortages. Clinically non-urgent bed blocker older patients sometimes unnecessarily occupy hospital beds as well as the time of multidisciplinary teams of health professionals, which often results in bed unavailability for clinically urgent patients hence decreasing a service capacity of healthcare