Examining Aged Care Policy within Australian Social Systems Context

This essay outlines and explains Australian social policy, focusing on aged care. It discusses the history of aged care policies in Australia, highlighting the changes and reasons behind them, as well as their impact on the older population. The paper notes the roles of government programs, community organizations, NGOs, and the charitable sector in providing support to older Australians. It references the Aged Care Act 1997 and related standards, emphasizing the government's responsibility for the aged care system's functioning. The analysis includes the evolution of aged care from the early 20th century to recent reforms aimed at creating a sustainable and effective system that offers greater choice and flexibility, promotes business growth, and provides diverse career options. The essay concludes that the aged care policy has improved the lives of older Australians by providing healthcare services and enabling them to live independently at home.

Running head: Australian society, systems and policies
Australian society, systems and policies

Australian society, systems and policies
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
History of aged care policy..........................................................................................................................3
Changes and reason behind changes in Aged Care Policy...........................................................................4
Impact of aged care policy...........................................................................................................................4
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................6
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Australian society, systems and policies
Introduction
The primary aim of this paper is to outline and explain the Australian social policy. Here
is the discussion about the old aged care policy which has been initiated in Australia to provide
support to the Australian old aged people. The impacts of this social policy have been explained
in the task widely. It is noted that services and support to the old aged people in the country is
rendered by the ample of government programs and policies. Community, NGO and charitable
sector also provide ample of benefits to the old aged people. Along with this, various policies
have been introduced by the Australian government to initiate, plan, evaluate and develop the
working of aged care system and sessions within the Australia. The aged care policy explains the
age of Australians who get the age services and facilities that is 65. It also includes indigenous
people who is the age of 50 years and above. The Aged care act 1997 and related aged care
standards have established to provide facilities to old aged people. Along with this, the
Australian government department of health is answerable for the functioning of aged care act
(De Bellis, 2010).
History of aged care policy
Aged care in Australia has undergone ample of transformations in response to changing
economic and demographic situations. Aged care in Australia is the prerequisite of services to
attain the effective and distinctive requirements of older citizens in country. It entails residential
aged care and services provided in the home including domestic assistance, individual care,
nutrition, home nursing and reprieve services. In Australia, the people who are capable for the
government to provide for the welfare of old aged people would still be anticipated to contribute
to the cost of services if they are willing to afford it. In 1990, the government of New South
Wales and Victoria has initiated a policy to render age pension to their old aged citizens who are
more than 65 years of age. An effective and unique age pension policy has been introduced by
Queensland in 1908. In 1909 the responsibility of paying these pensions has been taken by the
Commonwealth government. The old age pension is paying to the old people who are over the
age of 65 years (Tayler, Ishimine, Cloney, Cleveland & Thorpe, 2013). The pension is being
provided to women over the age of 60 years from 1910. In 1910, there were approx 65,492
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Australian society, systems and policies
people getting age pension in Australia. In 1950 state government was responsible for providing
assistance to the old age people. From 1960 commonwealth is also taking interest in rendering
facility of funding for nursing society and homes care services for the old age people (Greve,
2012).
Changes and reason behind changes in Aged Care Policy
It has been noted that unique aged care policy has been implemented by the Australian
government to provide services to people (Kudrna, Tran & Woodland, 2015). These policies also
help in securing the life of people across the Australia. Better health care facilities are provided
by the Australian government. Ample of change have been done by the government in aged care
to ensure and analyze that system. It has been found that outmoded image of aged care is
interconnected with the occupied aged care however most of the people want to live at home
with their society and family and they want to live independent and freely (Boudiny, 2013). The
age care policy in Australia is recently world class. It is noted that aged care reforms are being
initiated in three phases over 10 years. The changes are being initiated so that aged care system
can be effective and sustainable and it can be excellent scheme for all the people. New
supplements and home care packages implemented in inhabited care and residence care as well
in 2012-2013 (Australian government health department, 2017). Along with this, in 2013-2014
the Australian aged care quality agency was set to provide various facilities to people and the
aged care pricing commission was launched. Changes need to be initiated in this phase would be
built in consultation with the aged care sector. It also entails the expansion of a single quality
structure that will enhance and augment the focus on quality outputs for consumers. By 2022, the
vision and object of Australian aged care system would be sustainable and appropriate in the
near future and apart from this, aged care system renders greater and excellent options and
flexibility for the consumers in the competitive market. The Australian aged care system will
also encourage and promote aged care businesses to grow and invest and provides rewarding and
diverse career options (Australian government health department, 2017).
Impact of aged care policy
The ample of changes have been implemented by the government of Australia. It has
been analyzed that condition of Australian aged people has been improved by introducing the
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Australian society, systems and policies
aged care policy in the country. Effective and dynamic health care services are being provided by
the government. Along with this, the government also provides various facilities to aged people
in the country to live at their home (Cotter, Condon, Barnes, Anderson, Smith & Cunningham,
2012). In this way, aged people live happily and independently at their home. The aged care
policy has a direct impact on the aged health. With the help of aged care policy, the old aged
people have been able to get health care when they are suffering from any disease and health
issue. This health care includes clinical services as well as nursing services. The policy or
approach also introduces quality indicators to analyze and identify the quality of working of aged
care policy with the help of the quality indicators effectively and efficiently. The aged care
policy helps in the Australian community by giving full care of aged people (Hughes, 2011).
Conclusion
It has been concluded from the above mentioned analysis that aged care policy of
Australia is unique and dynamic and it is well known policy in the country. The government of
the Australia is providing various facilities such as home care and clinical services to the old
aged people. It also offers various services to the diagnosed people in the country. Various
reforms have been introduced to improve and enhance the conditions of the old aged people.
These reforms are useful to enhance and improve the aged care system. The positive impacts of
old aged care policy also have been explained in the paper.
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Australian society, systems and policies
References
Australian government health department.,(2017). Ageing and aged care [Online], Retrieved
from https://agedcare.health.gov.au/ageing-and-aged-care-aged-care-reform/why-is-aged-
care-changing
Boudiny, K., 2013. ‘Active ageing’: from empty rhetoric to effective policy tool. Ageing &
Society, 33(6), pp.1077-1098.
Cotter, P. R., Condon, J. R., Barnes, T., Anderson, I. P., Smith, L. R., & Cunningham, T. (2012).
Do Indigenous Australians age prematurely? The implications of life expectancy and
health conditions of older Indigenous people for health and aged care policy. Australian
Health Review, 36(1), 68-74.
De Bellis, A. (2010). Opinion piece: Australian residential aged care and the quality of nursing
care provision. Contemporary nurse, 35(1), 100-113.
Greve, B. (Ed.). (2012). The Routledge handbook of the welfare state. Routledge.
Hughes, M. (2011). The productivity commission inquiry into aged care: a critical
review. Australian Social Work, 64(4), 526-536.
Kudrna, G., Tran, C., & Woodland, A. (2015). The dynamic fiscal effects of demographic shift:
The case of Australia. Economic Modelling, 50, 105-122.
Tayler, C., Ishimine, K., Cloney, D., Cleveland, G., & Thorpe, K. (2013). The quality of early
childhood education and care services in Australia. Australasian Journal of Early
Childhood, 38(2), 13.
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