Community Services for Older People in Australia

Countries in the Asian region facing the need for developing community services for older adults may find the Australian experience illuminating. Australia has a relatively small population, approaching 20 million, 90 percent of whom are concentrated in coastal urban areas, notably Sydney and Melbourne. The Australian population has been aging at a modest rate, mainly because of the continuing arrival of younger immigrants and a continuing baby boom from 1946 to 1965. Among the minority of older people with a substantial disability, most resided in some form of long-term care accommodation, including hospitals, nursing homes, hostels, and the care-intensive sections of retirement villages. There is considerable controversy about the value base and sustainability of informal support for older Australians. Community-care services are delivered by a large number of organizations in the voluntary and public sectors. Some policymakers propose that one level of government should take full responsibility for aged care, but such radical proposals are unlikely to gain political acceptance.