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Report on Government Services 2018

Part F, Chapter 14

Aged care services

This chapter focuses on government funded care and support services for older people and their carers, which are provided at home, in the community and in residential care facilities.

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  • Key Facts
  • Indicator Framework
  • Indicator Results
  • Indigenous Data

Total government expenditure reported on aged care services in 2016-17 was $17.4 billion. This comprised expenditure of $12.1 billion on residential care services, $4.4 billion on home care and support services and $907 million on other services, such as flexible care and assessments.

As at June 2017, there were 204 335 operational places (including flexible places) in residential care services, and 71 423 recipients of Home Care Packages Level 1–4.

During 2016-17, there were 66 041 older clients receiving Home Care Packages Level 1‑2, 33 136 older clients receiving Home Care Packages Level 3‑4, 704 928 older clients of the Commonwealth Home Support Program and 62 846 older HACC clients in WA. There were also 232 252 older clients who received permanent care and 57 498 who received respite care in a residential aged care facility during that period.

The aged care system aims to promote the wellbeing and independence of older people (and their carers), by enabling them to stay in their own homes or by assisting them in residential care. Governments seek to achieve this aim by subsidising aged care services that are:

  • accessible — including timely and affordable
  • appropriate to meet the needs of clients — person-centred, with an emphasis on integrated care, ageing in place and restorative approaches
  • high quality.

Governments aim for aged care services to meet these objectives in an equitable and efficient manner.

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 2018 Report.

Indicator framework

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

Proportion of service clients who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, compared with the proportion of the aged care target population who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (per cent)

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
Aged care target population, June 2017 3.0 0.8 4.1 3.9 2.0 4.6 1.8 43.0 3.0
ACAT assessments, 2015-16 1.6 0.6 2.0 2.3 1.0 1.0 0.9 38.7 1.5
Residential aged care, 30 June 2017 0.8 0.3 1.5 1.9 0.5 0.7 0.3 37.3 0.9
Home care levels 1–2, 30 June 2017 4.3 3.6 4.6 5.7 2.7 2.2 5.9 67.8 4.9
Home care levels 3–4, 30 June 2017 2.4 1.9 3.5 2.7 2.1 2.2 0.6 27.7 2.7
Transition care, 2016-17 1.5 0.5 1.3 0.7 5.5 0.9
Source: Attachment table 14A.18

Effectiveness — Access indicators

Unmet need

Proportion of all hospital patient days (for overnight separations only) that were for aged care type, 2015‑16

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
% 10.2 0.6 17.8 17.5 21.2 12.7 27.6 13.3 11.3
Source: Attachment table 14A.32

Effectiveness — Quality indicators

Compliance with service standards

Proportion of all re-accredited residential aged care facilities that have been granted a re-accreditation approval for a period of three years, as at 30 June 2017

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
% 98.2 99.7 96.6 97.4 97.2 100.0 96.0 91.7 98.2
Source: Attachment table 14A.36

Proportion of Australian Government home care and support service providers reviewed that achieved all expected outcomes for each of the three standards, 30 June 2017 (per cent)

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
Standard 1 Effective management 86.9 94.6 85.3 91.7 88.7 90.7 97.0 78.1 88.0
Standard 2 Appropriate access and service delivery 90.8 97.9 95.7 94.5 87.1 96.9 97.0 78.1 92.8
Standard 3 Service user rights and responsibilities 98.3 99.7 98.3 97.2 97.8 100.0 100.0 93.8 98.3
Source: Attachment table 14A.38

Compliants received

Number of in-scope complaints received by the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner per 1000 care recipients, 2016-17

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
no. 26.0 27.1 29.5 21.2 21.6 28.3 30.9 71.3 26.4
Source: Attachment table 14A.37

Efficiency indicators

Cost per output unit

Australian Government expenditure on aged care assessments, per completed assessment, 2015‑16

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
$ 730.20 603.72 712.40 765.25 799.49 750.87 660.85 1 920.00 705.34
Source: Attachment table 14A.40

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, 2015 (per cent)

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
With profound or severe disability 48.0 ± 6.6 43.3 ± 7.1 43.7 ± 7.5 40.2 ± 9.8 52.9 ± 8.3 47.7 ± 13.6 40.0 ± 9.0 47.1 ± 16.5 45.6 ± 3.3
Without disability 6.6 ± 1.9 7.7 ± 1.8 5.3 ± 1.8 6.1 ± 2.3 7.3 ± 2.0 3.3 ± 2.5 3.6 ± 2.8 np 6.5 ± 0.8
Source: Attachment table 14A.44

Maintenance of individual functioning

Improvement in the level of physical function for Transition Care Program (TCP) clients, reflected in the movement from the average Modified Barthel Index (MBI) score on entry to the average MBI score on exit, 2016‑17 (number)

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats
 NSWVicQldWASATasACTNTAust
Average MBI on entry 80 65 72 55 69 67 85 83 71
Average MBI on exit 91 72 83 63 85 83 96 92 81
Source: Attachment table 14A.45

Notes

These data and caveats for these data are available in chapter 14 and attachment 14A.

Some percentages reported in these tables include 95 per cent confidence intervals (for example, 80 per cent ± 2.7 per cent).

* Indicates the estimate or proportion has a relative standard error between 25 per cent and 50 per cent and should therefore be used with caution.

np Not published. – Nil or rounded to zero.

Performance indicator data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chapter are available in the attachment tables listed below. Contextual data and further supporting information can be found in the chapter.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care services data
Table number Table title
Table 14A.18 Representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the aged care target population and aged care recipients
Table 14A.32 Hospital patient days used by those eligible and waiting for residential aged care