Aged Care in Healthcare Sector - Analysis, Trends, and Ethical Issues

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AGED CARE IN HEALTHCARE SECTOR
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Executive Summary
This is a report to analyze aged care as an industry segment in the Australian healthcare sector.
The industry has had an impact and grown over the last 10 years and has been influenced by a
great number of factors including competition and emergence of models which offer elasticity
within the health care sector. The analysis also rotates about the government and its influence in
the market including providence of subsidies. There are also a number of setbacks and great
opportunities relayed by the industry segment which are of relevance. The trends within the
market are also of equal importance and are outlined. The ethical issues revolving around the
industry are a big factor affecting the industry and are discussed as well.

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Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................4
Analysis........................................................................................................5
Competition and trends.................................................................................5
Factors influencing the industry segment............................................................5
Government involvement and relations...............................................................8
Ethical issues............................................................................................8
Conclusion......................................................................................................9
References.....................................................................................................11

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Introduction.
Health care is considered as an important element and pillar of the well-being of humans
worldwide. We all need good health and care to be able to conduct our day to day activities. It
forms an important part of every person’s basic needs. According to Maslow hierarchy of needs,
health care forms part of the base of the pyramid after the physiological needs which come first.
The Australian health care sector consists of several industry segments aimed at achieving and
meeting the needs of all citizens in terms of proper care and welfare. Aged care is one of the
segments of the industry that has helped improve care delivery in the country. Aged care in
Australia refers to the delivery of care services to the elderly who are considered a special part of
the population with special needs. As stated by Sugimoto 2018, it encompasses the old part of
the population by providing special services and intense care as they form a vulnerable group
within any given society.
The government offers subsidies to help minimize the cost of aged care services, however there
is the user pays system in aged care whereby the elderly pay to acquire a given service that they
can afford. As stated by Wilson 2016, the introduction of user pays system for the elderly has
proven to be quite advantageous as the subject gets to receive proper and intense care as they pay
for it. In this system, for someone to receive a service they have to pay a specified amount in
order for it to be delivered in a manner which they prefer. The main activities of the aged care
segment is ensuring the welfare of the elderly in the country and to offer assisted care delivery to
cater for their special needs. According to Hugo 2016, the aged require a different and special
manner of healthcare as compared to the rest of the population as the immunity system tends to
decrease with old age. The energy levels in old age likewise tend to reduce as compared to the
young population. They therefore require more attention hence the introduction of aged care.