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Report on Government Services 2015

Chapter 13, Volume F

Aged care services

The Aged care services chapter (chapter 13) reports on the performance of government funded services for older people, including assessment, residential care and community based services.

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  • Key Facts
  • Indicator Framework
  • Indicator Results

Total government expenditure reported on aged care services in 2013–14 was $14.8 billion. This included residential care services ($10.0 billion) and community care services ($3.8 billion).

Community care services expenditure included expenditure of $2.1 billion on Home and Community Care (HACC) for older people (aged 65 years or over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 50–64 years — except in Victoria and WA where it is for all people), with the Australian Government contributing $1.7 billion and the Victorian and WA governments contributing $357.2 million. Australian Government expenditure on Home Care levels 1–4 was a further $1.3 billion in 2013–14.

At June 2014, there were 189 283 operational places (excluding flexible care places) in residential care services and 66 954 operational places (including flexible places) in Home Care levels 1–4. During 2013–14, 224 222 older clients received permanent care and 46 851 received respite care in a residential aged care facility nationally. There were also 64 312 older clients of Home Care levels 1–2, 19 942 older clients of Home Care levels 3–4 and 775 959 older clients of HACC in 2013–14.

The aged care system aims to promote the wellbeing and independence of older people and their carers through the funding and delivery of care services that are accessible, appropriate to needs, high quality, efficient and person–centred.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of government aged care services. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2015 Report.

Indicator framework explained in the chapter

An overview of the Aged care services performance indicator results are presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the Aged care services chapter and attachment tables.

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Equity — Access indicators

Use by different groups

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Access to residential aged care services by all people
Aged care recipients per 1000 people aged 65 years or over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 50–64 years, 30 June 2014.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 52.8 53.0 47.2 45.6 58.8 47.0 43.0 27.0 51.1
Source: Attachment table 13A.22.
Access to residential aged care services by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care recipients per 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years or over, 30 June 2014.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 11.3 22.9 17.4 24.8 33.1 5.5 5.0 32.2 18.5
Source: Attachment table 13A.25
Access to residential aged care services by veterans
Veterans in residential care per 1000 eligible veterans 65 years or over, 2013–14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 160.4 168.9 126.8 126.6 163.4 127.5 98.5 43.4 149.0
Source: Attachment table 13A.13.

Effectiveness — Access indicators

Operational aged care places

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Total operational aged care places per 1000 people aged 70 years or over (excluding transition care), 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 111.2 111.1 108.4 110.1 118.2 107.5 110.7 198.9 111.3
Source: Attachment table 13A.19.

Elapsed times for aged care services

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Proportion of people entering high care residential services entered within 3 months of approval, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 71.9 75.0 63.5 62.3 66.6 70.1 52.2 45.1 69.4
Source: Attachment table 13A.42.

Effectiveness — Appropriateness indicators

Assessed long-term care arrangements

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Proportion of clients recommended to remain in the community, 2012-13.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 51.4 59.9 43.8 53.4 39.7 62.2 68.7 71.1 52.4
Source: Attachment table 13A.46.

Hospital patient days used by aged care type patients

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Proportion of separations for ‘aged care type’ public hospitals patients that were 35 days or longer, 2012-13.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 7.0 29.4 12.8 18.9 8.2 8.5 24.3 67.3 10.9
Source: Attachment table 13A.48.

Intensity of care

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Proportion of people who stayed in the same residential aged care service when changing from low care to high care, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 90.8 94.0 94.2 91.7 95.3 94.9 96.8 96.2 92.8
Source: Attachment table 13A.28.

Effectiveness — Quality indicators

Compliance with service standards for residential care

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Proportion of re-accredited residential aged care services that were granted a re-accreditation approval for a period of three years during 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 90.1 89.9 81.0 92.7 86.7 100.0 100.0 40.0 87.9
Source: Attachment table 13A.50.

Complaints resolution

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Number of complaints received by the Complaints Scheme per 1000 permanent care recipients, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 21.3 25.4 22.1 18.6 23.8 20.9 11.4 42.6 22.4
Source: Attachment table 13A.54.

Compliance with service standards for community care

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Proportion of reviews that met all expected outcomes under each of the Standards (NRCP and Home Care services).
Standard 1 — Effective management.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 77.8 63.8 24.3 100.0 95.2 66.7 50.0 42.3 67.2
Source: Attachment table 13A.55.
Standard 2 — Appropriate access and service delivery.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 76.3 84.0 42.1 100.0 96.8 77.8 100.0 53.8 74.6
Source: Attachment table 13A.55.
Standard 3 — Service user rights and responsibilities.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 93.4 96.8 59.8 100.0 87.3 77.8 100.0 57.7 85.5
Source: Attachment table 13A.55.

Efficiency indicators

Cost per output unit

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Australian Government expenditure on aged care assessments, per assessment, 2012–13.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 574 472 592 576 697 563 539 1547 560
Source: Attachment table 13A.57.

Expenditure per head of target population

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Australian Government (DoHA and DVA) real expenditure on residential services per person aged 65 years or over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 50–64 years (including payroll tax), 2013–14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 2828 3025 2680 2535 3229 2688 2040 1130 2828
Source: Attachment table 13A.59.

Outcome indicators

Social participation in the community

Proportion of older people aged 65 years or over who did not leave home or did not leave home as often as they would like, 2012.
With profound or severe disability.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 49.3 ±4.7 44.9 ±5.7 49.8 ±6.9 39.2 ±9.7 45.2 ±9.1 40.6 ±9.0 42.6 ±11.2 56.3 ±23.3 46.8 ±2.5
Source: Attachment table 13A.65.
Without disability.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 5.2 ±1.5 6.6 ±1.8 9.2 ±2.3 4.7 ±2.1 4.5 ±1.7 10.4 ±3.7 4.4 ±3.3 6.3 ±5.4 6.4 ±0.7
Source: Attachment table 13A.65

Maintenance of individual physical function

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 13).

Improvement in Transition Care Program (TCP) client’s level of functioning, reflected in the movement from the average Modified Barthel Index (MBI) score on entry to the average MBI score on exit, 2013-14.
Average MBI on entry.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
no. 80 65 75 58 69 65 89 81 72
Source: Attachment table 13A.66.
Average MBI on exit.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
no. 91 72 86 65 84 84 96 92 82
Source: Attachment table 13A.66.

Some results reported here include 95 per cent confidence intervals (for example, 80 per cent ± 2.7 per cent).