Supporting Aged Communities

This article discusses the challenges faced by the aging population and the steps taken to accommodate them. It explores the healthy aging models and the aged care system in Australia. The article also covers statistics, support programs, and services provided to the elderly.

Running head: SUPPORTING AGED COMMUNITIES
Supporting Aged Communities
Author
Institution

SUPPORTING AGED COMMUNITIES 2
Supporting Aged Communities
Worldwide people are living longer. Most people expect to live more than sixty years. It
is predicted by 2050 the age of the population aged 60 years and above will 2 billion. The aging
population around the world is drastically increasing. However, aging come a lot of challenges
including physical, mental and social challenges. Everyone should have an experience of living
healthy and long lives (Baltes & Baltes, 2006). . Healthy aging involves creating environment
and opportunities that enable people to do what they value in their lives. There are steps taken to
accommodate the aging of the population. Taking care of the healthy aging population is of
importance to support the old people in the society.
The World Health Organizations describes healthy aging as the way of maintaining and
developing the functional ability and the wellbeing in the older stage of life. The functional
ability involves possessing ability that assists people to do what they value in life. This
comprises of meeting the basic needs, to start and maintain a relationships, and learn, grow,
make decisions and grow, to become mobile and give out to the society. Meanwhile the intrinsic
capacity of the individual and the relevant characteristics of the environment and their exchange
make up the factual ability. The intrinsic involves the capacity of an individual involves all the
physical and mental ability that a person rely on and comprises the capability to think, walk,
hear, see and remember. This level of inartistic ability is affected by various things such as age
related disease, injuries and presence of diseases.
Functional ability and intrinsic capacity are of much significance for one to be able to
live in the environment. Environment includes the community and the society at large, home and
various factors in them and includes the environment build, people and the relationship, values

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and attitude, social policies and health, the mechanism that supports them and the provided
services is implemented.
With continuously growing population of the older population societies need to increase the
knowledge on how to promote good health among the older adults. Thus, promote quality and
good health in the later life stages and avoid the costly and the negative impacts that affect the
general population (Baldassar, 2007). Therefore health aging models is of much significance in
promoting health among the adults. Healthy aging model is a major care for older people
suffering chronic illnesses conditions that centers on engaging health care active behaviors. The
healthy aging is attached in completed theory of motivation and health behavior change. This
models on applied clinical and empirical support for example the wide areas such as promoting
treatment of obesity or addiction, education and health, chronic disease management, setting
objectives, and the coaching technique.
Health aging model focuses on promoting health for the aging population (Bevan & Hood,
2006).This includes encouraging positive health behavior improvement in the adults who are
aging. The health aging combines methodologies that are tested and engage established
theoretical models of change of health behavior in aging population at individual level in varying
states of illness and health. The four elements that characterized the health aging model includes
the following
 A perspective of client centered
 An approach that is goal driven
 An individualized coaching strategy of human behavior
 Appreciating of the significance of wider health context in which the clients live.
A perspective of client centered

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The knowledge of care and needs expressed on a person are crucial and of major interest
in this model. The healthy aging models concentrate on focusing and understanding the extended
attention to the perspective and the needs of the clients and the systems of support. This is
because the health and experiences of health are very personal. The accounts of the first-person
by the patients act as a very rich source of understanding illness, health and recovery.
Goal-driven approach
The center of this model is the goal setting. The approach is placed on the assumptions
that the objective is individualized, joint by the client, specific and achievable and meaningful.
Objectives may not or may be related to health directly. It combines other premise of this model
that even the progress of the modest toward the specific objectives access client. There is urge to
further engage towards other behavior change that is desired. Self-efficacy and confidence is
built specific behavior.
Health professionals coaching
The behavioral coaching is an art that is not well known and is not frequently practiced
by the clinicians. However it is a core strategy to this model of healthy aging. The responsibility
of health coach is to provide, by method of counselling, the clients personal health identification
or cares of health and facilitate the change of behavior in the client as this is essential to
achieving this goal (Gadzhanova & Reed, 2007). The major aspect of successful counselling is
the methodology referred to as motivational interviewing (MI). The MI is the healthy coaching
technique that has full descriptions and demonstrates consistency as causally and is associated
independently different of the patient focused home medical model. The concentration diverts
from the expert information giving, behavior and prescriptions and advice to applying team

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based models that enable the clients explore concern, values, reasons and intention for change
and then regard strategies and ideas for the change.
Personal health
The health system of a person can be defined as a concentration of the relationships,
practices, beliefs and activities that bring meaning and value to the clients and help them move
upon achieving their goals (Colbert et al, 2004). Meanwhile, it might include the health
supportive elements as well as traditional medical service elements that are available to the client
for example it might include, the nurse coach, care giver services and so on. They attribute to the
client ability to engage in the meaningful relationships and activities. Family and social work
engagement and the acknowledgement of creation and activities are key contributors to positive
self-care.
The age care system caters for aged people who are more are 65 years and older who
cannot survive without the foundation in their own home. The care is delivered in the
community, residential and home cares, facilities of aged care via the nursing homes through a
broad variety of the providers (Broad et al, 2013). This system is regulated and funded by the
Australian government. The aged care act 1997 and the joint Age Care principles set out the
framework of legislative for regulating and funding the age care. Meanwhile, this service is
provided through contract arrangement outside the act. The Department of Health of the
Australian Government is responsible for the operation Act. The age care service subsidy for
aged people are provided under the Act includes the residential care, home and flexible care.
Cares is delivered through the agreement of funding with the providers and comprise indigenous
flexible care and home support. The following are the type of aged care service.
The home care

SUPPORTING AGED COMMUNITIES 6
This involve home programme support by the commonwealth provides the entry channel
home help for the aged people. Also there is respite planned activities to relive the cares. These
services might be delivered at the community or at home. moreover, the services includes the
transport, social support, personal care, assist with domestic chores, home maintenance, nursing
care, home modification, meals and combined services of health (Walker & Haslett, 2001). The
contribution is paid by the client and this varies with the providers towards the cost of the
services and the common wealth support programme (CHSP) providers get the funding from the
Australian government through the grant agreement. The CHSP functions in every territory and
states apart from Western Australia where western Australian HACC program continues to
deliver services for crucial support to the aged people and the young people who have
disabilities. The people who require good level of assistance remain at home. The care for home
packager’s programme provides joint packages of care from the providers of home care and is
approved. The home care programme enables people to remain at home instead of entering the
residential aged care. Hence, they deliver ongoing support and personal care and clinical care.
Residential care support
The residential care support is provided to aged people are unable to live independently
in their homes. The services at the residential care include accommodation, personal care,
services support such as meals and laundry, nursing and several joint health services (Chenoweth
& Kilstoff 2002). The funding of the aged care in residential is done both by the Australian
government and the contributors from the residents. However, the Australian funds the
supplements and the subsidies to the providers approved for every resident having care under the
act. Meanwhile, the subsidy for essential care in permanent resident is done by the Aged care
funding instruments (Brown, Grbich, Parker & Willis, 2005). This is the channel the provider

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applies to access the care needs from the resident. The aged care funding instrument contains a
lot of questions that influences the funding across the three domains. Behavior, the works of
daily lives and the specialized health care. Consequently, higher subsidy is provided as per the
greater assess. Residents also are involved in paying the fees that contribute to the cost of
accommodation and care.
Flexible care
The flexible cares serves the aged people who may require a diverse approach of care than
that offered by residential and home care services mainstreams (Gadzhanova & Reed, 007). The
four types of flexible care include:
 Transition care which is funded both by the Australian government and territory states.
They provide 12 weeks of rehabilitation and care until discharge from the hospital. The
goal of this care is to allow the older people to go back to their homes rather than entering
prematurely in the residential care
 Short-Term Restorative Care although it has the same goals as the transitional care, it is
only offered to the older have decline or setback in the function instead of staying in the
hospital. The care includes packages of the services which is provided up to eight weeks
to enhance the wellbeing of the individual and capability to manage at home. This
program is subsidized by the government of Australia.
 The multipurpose service programme that delivers integrated aged care services and
health is small remote and rural communities. They receive fundi ng from the state or
territory and the Australian government and deliver services to the regions that cannot
support aged care homes or hospitals

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 The innovative care program which comprises of tiny portion pilot project of the
grandfathered innovative home care services. The places serve as the recipient care of an
individual leave them and no new places are allocated in this programme. Also this
programme is subsidized by the Australian governemt. Moreover, flexible care is
delivered to the indigenous Australians through administered grants outside the working
frame of the Act.
The age care service has evolved and this is and has enabled the older people to access easier
to the providers (Hogan, 2004). . This system has been put to ensure there is a slow flow of
services from the systems of care providers, government and the clients. The following are
the advancement that we put in place to enhance the quality of service.
Statistics
The statics of age are from a variety of sources are available. The annual data from the
stakeholder Australian Government Subsidized Aged care centres are published by the
department of health outlining the number and the age care types in every territory and the
planning places for age care (Chenoweth & Kilstoff, 2002). The department of health also
publishes the service lists for aged care with details of each service the government of
Australia funds under the act. Moreover the library of parliament produces a version that is
enhanced of the service list and it is made available for all parliamentary members to help
them identify services to the electorate. More descriptive information and detailed statistics
concerning the care and programs are made available in the reports of functioning and the
aged care act 1997 and the aged care service chapter.
Support programmes

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There are other supportive programs that are directly subsidized to provide aged care
services. Also there are variety of programmes supported by the government to supporting
age care clients who have specialized needs, aged care service providers and the staff. Nine
groups of that are categorized to be of special needs under the act. They comprises the
following individuals from culturally an linguistic diverse backgrounds commonly known as
indigenous Australians, gay, lesbians, transgender, bisexual, intersex people, veterans and the
people who reside in remote and rural places (Willis, Reynolds & Keleher, 2016). . As
planning process part the secretary of department of health decides the various flexible or
residential places to be made ready to deal on one or more groups of this category.
Meanwhile there is funding from the government of Australia in terms of supplements,
programs and strategies so as to satisfy the requirements of this groups of people. For
example
 A partner in an appropriate cultural care organization receive funding from each
territory and state to help the aged care providers provide appropriate cultural acre to
clients from this basis and also help these clients to receive care.
 The national aging and aging care strategies entails the variety of actions an goals so
that these people aged care system can be improved.
 Providers of age care to a client who is veterans who is homeless or in financial
hardship can receive supplement in s specified circumstances to funding these clients
 Supplement viability is paid to providers of ae care services who are in remote and
rural areas as well as specialist service providers to the homeless or indigenous or
homeless clients. This also includes aiding with the high costs of delivering care in
these places.

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The system of aged care service serves many clients having dementia. The providers at
the home care providers are provided with cognition supplement and dementia for clients with
impairment in cognition that is moderate to severe. The payment for care providers at the
residential cares takes into account for every client’s requirements, including the requirement
concerned with dementia (Hogan, 2004). The providers of residential care can also ask advice to
assist the care for residents with mild psychological and severe symptoms of dementia from
clinical mobile referred to as Severe Behavioral Response Teams. The dementia programs are
also funded by the governments. The age clients are also supported directed through the
National Aged Advocacy Program and the visitors of community scheme. The Australian
government funds nine national aged care advocacy programme, organizations to assist clients
make decisions about age care. The communities’ visitors’ scheme give money to community
organisations to train, support and recruit the volunteers to visit aged care socially isolated
clients at the residential or home care. Also the Australian government funds various
development workforce program including education and training for aged care staff.
Access to Aged care
The government of Australia regulates age care subsidized regions that are available. The
framework plan targets to raise the number places of age care in conjunction with increase in
aging population hence, balance to supply the places along country and city areas (Duckett &
Willcox, 2015).Currently, age care places placed to providers who are certified to deliver care
under the act. The true clients must look for a provider with a place near in order to receive care.
In 2017, home care places were provided directly to clients and select their preferred provider.
Residential care providers allocated directly to clients can choose their preferred provider.

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Assessing of eligibility involves where the My aged care call and website center provides
the reports concerning age care and serve as the major point call for people searching subsidized
age care. The my age care centre staff assess and screen clients through the phone and later can
refer them to face assessment to ascertain the quality for services for example, home support,
residential care or home care. Health professional, members of a family and providers of the
service also can make a reference to my age care on older person behalf. Clients who require
entry level to home support are directed to my age for care assessment service. Meanwhile, the
clients who require searching for a subsidized residential care home or flexible care in the act
needs a thorough assessment and approved for care by the aged care assessment team.
Services of aged care are provided by various different profits, not for profit, and
government providers while some usually provide more than one type of care (Gadzhanova &
Reed, 2007). The providers with three sections are usually the not-for-profit providers and this is
categorized into charitable, religious and community based organizations. Regulation and
compliance is managed by three main bodies are responsible for compliance and regulation in
relation to age care services provision. These bodies includes
- Department of health which is responsible for policy and compliance with the
act
- The Australian aged care quality accredits aged care and providers
- The aged care complainants commissioner handles complaints about the aged
care services
The providers that wish to receive Australian government subsidies for delivering care
under the act must be approved by the department of health as verified to provide health (Willis,
Reynolds & Keleher, 2016) .The verified providers remain responsible for the care they provide.

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Under the act they have responsibilities concerning to the rights of the recipients, the quality of
care they provide and the governance. If the providers are not able to apprehend with their
responsibilities the department of health can issue the notice of non-compliance and sanctions
imposed on them. The Australian aged care quality agency is a statutory agency that is
independent and is formed under the Australian aged care quality agency act 2013. The work of
this organization is to accredit residential care services and conducts quality reviews of the home
services. The age care complainant is a statutory office holder in the act and is supported by
almost 150 complainants. The complainants can be examined by the commissioner concerning
the Australian government funded age care providers and this includes residential, homecare,
flexible care.
It is essential to point out that supporting the aged population is of much significance.
The aged are part of the society and they are of great value. This is to ensure they are facilitated
with the required needs and help them live a healthy life as they age. More measures should be
taken to ensure that the growing populations have a healthy life. More funds should be allocated
to cater the care of the aged.

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