Elderly Healthcare Assignment: Challenges in Australia's Aged Care

This assignment explores various facets of elderly healthcare in Australia. It begins by examining the advantages and challenges of older adults remaining in their homes, followed by an analysis of the My Aged Care website and how individuals can access services. The assignment then investigates the benefits of meaningful leisure activities, such as the men's shed, on the physical and psychological well-being of older men. It also addresses age-related changes contributing to constipation and strategies nurses can use to manage it. Finally, the assignment delves into the challenges of attracting graduate health professionals to aged care, supported by current literature, and proposes potential strategies to overcome these issues. The assignment demonstrates an understanding of the multifaceted needs of the elderly and the complexities of providing quality care within the Australian healthcare system.

ELDERLY HEALTHCARE 1
Elderly Healthcare
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ELDERLY HEALTHCARE 2
1. The majority of older Australian’s continue to live in their own homes, with or without support.
Discuss 2 advantages and 2 challenges of older people remaining in their own home. (200 words)
/5 marks
Response
Advantages
1. When most people reach their retirement age, they tend to focus on their talents and
passion, since they did not have time to focus them in their early and middle years.
Staying in their own homes, gives them a peaceful and serene environment for working o
without any distractions. These crafty talents include; weaving and beading. They are also
able to pocket a few coins out of these handy skills and it becomes a getaway for their
boredom and keeps them busy.
2. Elderly people prefer making their own decisions by themselves. It gives them satisfaction
to come up with own ideas and implement them without necessarily depending on their
children or other people. Staying in their own homes gives them the freedom to decide
what works best for them, and applying it in their lives.
Challenges
1. Research has shown that most people living on their own in the rural homes tend to be
lonely because they are unable to reconnect with people in the urban centers. They are
left behind in current affairs around the globe. Some of them live alone without company
and this brings about depression eventually causing them to have suicidal thoughts.
2. It is well known that old age comes with chronic and terminal diseases. Staying in their
own homes, poses a great challenges since they lack carers to show concern for them.
Some of them cannot afford the devices that come with technologies in IoT and are thus
left to helplessly suffer and go through the pain that comes with the ailments thus
reducing their lifespan.
References
Aoun, S., Deas, K. and Skett, K. (2015). Older people living alone at home with terminal
cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care, 25(3), pp.356-364.
Green, D. and Martin, D. (2016). Maintaining the Healthy Country–Healthy People Nexus
through Sociocultural and Environmental Transformations: challenges for the Wik
Aboriginal people of Aurukun, Australia. Australian Geographer, 48(3), pp.285-309.
2. The My Aged Care website https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/ is a central repository for
information about aged care services in Australia. Discuss how an older person can find
out about services available through My Aged Care. (200 words)
/5 marks
Response
My Aged Care is a portal where clients and carers, who may act as representatives of clients, use
to access medical healthcare. It comes with a user guide that helps clients who may have
difficulties with getting services at myagedcare. It has various portals where a client can choose
the services they wish to take. It however differentiates those who have registered as clients and
those who have nit as consumers. After one registers, they are able to access al services available
in the portal, since their profile will be updated. There are various functions available in the portal
such as the “profile” which sets out all the details of the clients. Other functions are such as
“relationships” that shows the people who shall take care of your needs; “plans” to show all the
plans that have been set out to cater for all your needs. “Services” show the kind of services one is

ELDERLY HEALTHCARE 3
receiving with myagedcare and “myagedcare” shows the type of assistance one has received.
Myagedcare is aware of elderly patients who are not able to operate the portal on their own and
thus they allow carers to use the portal on their behalf. It is advisable that old patients register so
that they can receive services while at home
References
How to Use the My Aged Care Client Portal. (2017). myagedcare, pp.1-26.
3. View video https://youtu.be/qJ6I_gwJx9Mwhere Ray talks about attending the men’s
shed. How would attending a meaningful leisure activity, such as the men’s shed, enhance
the physical and psychological health of older men? (200 words)
/5 marks
Response
Attending such activities has proven to be of great benefit to old men. These leisure activities have
tremendously increased the mobility of these old folks making them become immune to several
illnesses. They are also able to develop positive relationships with their acquaintances when they
go for these activities. They are also able to widen their social interactions; hence they are not
able to stay at home lonely. With this, they are also able to talk and relate with each other about
their current situations. Old age comes with loss of memory, however leisure activities come in
handy to help older men have a good memory, since they take part in various activities some of
which exercise the brain. It is also through such team building activities that community education
takes place. Most of these old men are taught how to manage their health in better ways and
generally how they can take care of themselves. These activities also help to reduce pain, since
amongst the various types of pain; there are those that are caused as a result of decreased
mobility. As they take part in these physical activities, their bones become strong and there is
increased body movement and thus reduce pain.
References
Esain, I., Gil, S., Bidaurrazaga-Letona, I. and Rodriguez-Larrad, A. (2018). Effects of
3 months of detraining on functional fitness and quality of life in older adults who
regularly exercise. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.
Ryu,J. and Heo, J. (2017). Relationships between leisure activity types and well
being in older adults. Leisure Studies.37(3), pp. 331 – 342
4. What age-related changes contribute to increased risk of constipation? What strategies can the
nurse use to assess, prevent and manage constipation? (200 words)
/5 marks
Response
The main age related changes that contribute to high risks of constipation are medications that
old people take as a result of other illnesses, underlying ailments, decreased movement as a result
of their weak bodies, a modified diet as well as rectal sensory – motor dysfunction.
There are several strategies that nurses use in managing constipation, however they feel
challenged at times since it does not result from one cause. Nurses begin by doing a psychological
bowel history and a rectal examination immediately so as to know the main cause for the
constipation. They then proceed to administering the drugs so as to provide an immediate
solution. After this process, nurses have a duty to take care of their patients while they are in

ELDERLY HEALTHCARE 4
hospital. They wheel them to washrooms and ensure they sit on the bowl properly. They ensure
that their diet is filled with high fibres of at least 18 grams a day. They also ensure that the elderly
patients have a lot of fluid intake, especially those with dehydration. Elderly people are also
advised to take part in physical activity since bed rest leads to decreased mobility thus bringing
about dysfunctioning of many body parts. Lastly, nurses recommend that a combination of
stimulant laxatives and osmotic agents to manage constipation, however, the osmotic agents
come with a lot of fluid intake.
References
Cessieux E, W. (2015). Managing constipation in older people in hospital. Nursing Times,
111(22), pp.19-21.
De Giorgio, R., Ruggeri, E., Stanghellini, V., Eusebi, L., Bazzoli, F. and Chiarioni, G. (2015).
Chronic constipation in the elderly: a primer for the gastroenterologist. BMC
Gastroenterology, 15(1).
5.Consider the challenges listed below :
● ageing workforce ● the place of the registered nurse in aged care ● under resourcing of
staff/workload issues ● inequity in remuneration when compared with public sector ● lack of
access to professional development ● high staff turnover ● provision of culturally safe aged care ●
improving cognition of residents ● increasing need for dementia care ● provision of aged care in
rural and remote areas ● negative attitudes towards working in the industry ● difficulty in
attracting graduate health professionals ● need for increasing levels of government funding ●
proliferation of for profit organizations ● consolidation of aged-care facilities
Discuss the difficulty attracting graduate health professionals in aged care in Australia,
using current literature to support your response. Identify strategies that could be
enacted to overcome this challenge. (200 words)
/5 marks
Response
Drawbacks graduate health professionals face in aged care in Australia
Most of the graduate health professionals tend to flee from specializing in age care in Australia as
a result of various reasons such as; low income, poor working conditions especially in rural areas
and lack of career paths and professional development opportunities in the bucolic areas. These
young graduates also view aged care practice as poor sector when it comes to reputation, since it
is not as attractive as other areas of practice. They also complain of long working hours with a lot
of strenuous activity since elderly persons require a lot of care and attention. Lastly, they criticize
the high client - staff ratios, since it comes with a lot of demanding work.
Strategies that can be used to overcome this challenge.
Various organizations have come up with solutions that have attracted very many young
graduates to this practice. Horton House and Washington Lodge; being a community based facility
is offering $ 5000 dollars sponsorship to year 2 learner nurses from the Australian Catholic
University. For one to qualify; they hey have to have aged care as an elective and once they are
done, they work for the facility for at least twelve months.
The government can as well give allowances to nurses working in hardship areas, create
awareness on IoT in healthcare, fund organizations that are involved in taking care of the elderly
and also increase the rates of remuneration for such nurses.

ELDERLY HEALTHCARE 5
References
Wilson, M., Kurrle, S. and Wilson, I. (2018). Medical student attitudes towards older
people: a critical review of quantitative measures. BMC Research Notes, 11(1).

ELDERLY HEALTHCARE 6
Reference List
Aoun, S., Deas, K. and Skett, K. (2015). Older people living alone at home with terminal
cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care, 25(3), pp.356-364.
Cessieux E, W. (2015). Managing constipation in older people in hospital. Nursing Times,
111(22), pp.19-21.
De Giorgio, R., Ruggeri, E., Stanghellini, V., Eusebi, L., Bazzoli, F. and Chiarioni, G. (2015).
Chronic constipation in the elderly: a primer for the gastroenterologist. BMC
Gastroenterology, 15(1).
Esain, I., Gil, S., Bidaurrazaga-Letona, I. and Rodriguez-Larrad, A. (2018). Effects of
3 months of detraining on functional fitness and quality of life in older adults who
regularly exercise. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.
Green, D. and Martin, D. (2016). Maintaining the Healthy Country–Healthy People Nexus
through Sociocultural and Environmental Transformations: challenges for the Wik
Aboriginal people of Aurukun, Australia. Australian Geographer, 48(3), pp.285-309.
How to Use the My Aged Care Client Portal. (2017). myagedcare, pp.1-26.
Ryu,J. and Heo, J. (2017). Relationships between leisure activity types and well being in
older adults. Leisure Studies.37(3), pp. 331 – 342
Wilson, M., Kurrle, S. and Wilson, I. (2018). Medical student attitudes towards older
people: a critical review of quantitative measures. BMC Research Notes, 11(1).
Esain, I., Gil, S., Bidaurrazaga-Letona, I. and Rodriguez-Larrad, A. (2018). Effects of
3 months of detraining on functional fitness and quality of life in older adults who
regularly exercise. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.
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