Primary Healthcare for the Older Population in Australia

Running Head: PRIMARY HEALTHCARE FOR THE OLDER POPULATION IN
AUSTRALIA
Primary Healthcare for the Older Population in Australia
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PRIMARY HEALTHCARE FOR THE OLDER POPULATION IN AUSTRALIA 2
Primary Healthcare for the Older Population
Introduction
There has been a lot of debate around the issue of the aging population not only in
Australia but also in the entire globe. Specifically, the emphasis has been on the cohort of
individuals who were born after WWII. For the objective and purpose of this paper, sixty-five
years of age will be used to indicate the start of the older people in Australia. It should be noted
that older people are not a homogenous people. Thus, there is a significant difference in their
needs and health. As compared with any other age group, there exist internal variations and
subgroups such that the aging experience may vary for people depending on their geographic
area, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, health status, and age. For instance, a person aging
with a long-term disability like Down’s syndrome or cerebral palsy will have a whole variation
in the experience of aging than a person who is comparatively well and fit.
Moreover, people with different longstanding disabilities can experience premature aging
as well as need access to services before reaching sixty-five years of age (Bentley et al. 2015). It
should be noted that older women are considered as a different subgroup as they are likely to
stay alone, be at higher risk of being admitted to residential care, and be in higher need of local
or community-based healthcare. This paper will critically discuss primary healthcare for the
ageing population in Australia and the way healthcare resources are allocated to them using
primary healthcare approach.
Over the past years, the global population has continued on its significant shift from a
state of high rates of birth and rates of deaths to one featured by low deaths and birth rates (Luo
& Ferguson, 2017). At the center of this shift has been the development in the proportion as well

PRIMARY HEALTHCARE FOR THE OLDER POPULATION IN AUSTRALIA 3
as a number of the older people. Globally, the present revolution in demography is approximated
to continue to rise into the coming years. For instance, one in ten people is currently 65 years of
age or older. It is expected that by the year 2050, one in five people will be 65 years of age or
old. In Western Australia, the population is relatively young even though older individuals are
forming a rising proportion of the population of the state. In 1998, individuals who are aged
sixty-five years and over were about 11% of the total population (PR Newswire, 2018).
Moreover, older people in the country is also aging. For instance, in 1982, individuals
who are aged 81 years and above were about 14.4% of all those who were aged sixty-five years
and over (Lovink et al. 2018). To ensure that healthcare services are available to the people of
Australia, the government has set objectives to reduce the incidence of injury, preventable
disease, premature death, and injury, restoring the health of individuals suffering from acute
illness. The government also must improve the quality of life for individuals having chronic
disabilities and illness. To secure the highest possible improvement in the quality of life and
health for all Australians, the health department in the country acknowledges that all people
should have equity and fair opportunities to gain their wellbeing and health potential regardless
of gender, socioeconomic status, age, place of residence, ethnicity or race. The variety of needs
of people, communities, and groups also have to be comprehended.
Healthcare resources must be targeted and given where needs are highest, and the cost-
and clinical effectiveness of the healthcare services must be maximized to gain the highest
benefits from the existing resources. Health system in the country needs to economically as well
as clinically sustainable (Dudgeon, Bray, D’Costa & Walker, 2017). It should be noted that there
is a significant difference in the care and health needs of older people. An aging population can
be disabled, frail or well and they can suffer from chronic or acute illness or both; however, the