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Report on Government Services 2016

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
  • Indigenous Data

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

Total government expenditure reported on aged care services in 2014-15 was $15.8 billion. This included expenditure of $4.1 billion on home care and support services and $10.8 billion on residential care services.

Home care and support services expenditure included expenditure of $2.3 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 $1.9 billion and the Victorian and WA governments contributing $385.5 million. Australian Government expenditure on Home Care levels 1-4 was a further $1.3 billion in 2014-15.

At June 2015, there were 73 550 operational places (including flexible places) in Home Care levels 1-4 and 195 953 operational places (including flexible places) in residential care services. During 2014-15, there were 86 302 older clients of Home Care levels 1-4 and 812 384 older clients of HACC. There were also 224 115 older clients who received permanent care and 51 411 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 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 2016 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

Access to aged care services across special needs group — proportion of service clients who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, compared with the proportion of the aged care target population who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Aged care target population, June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13).
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 2.9 0.8 4.0 3.9 2.0 4.5 1.7 43.2 2.9
Source: Attachment table 13A.2

Residential aged care, at 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 0.7 0.3 1.6 2.2 1.2 0.6 0.4 53.8 1.1
Source: Attachment table 13A.24

Home care levels 1-2, at 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 2.6 3.2 4.1 4.7 3.0 5.3 4.8 57.8 4.3
Source: Attachment table 13A.24

Home care levels 3-4, at 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.0 1.2 0.6 22.6 1.6
Source: Attachment table 13A.24

HACC, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 4.0 1.0 3.2 3.2 2.2 1.9 1.0 54.7 2.9
Source: Attachment table 13A.30

Effectiveness — Access indicators

Operational aged care places

Total operational aged care places per 1000 people aged 70 years or over (excluding transition care), 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 111.2 112.3 107.5 109.1 119.1 108.7 113.6 195.5 111.5
Source: Attachment table 13A.19

Elapsed times for aged care services

Proportion of people entering residential aged care services who did so within 3 months of ACAT approval, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 58.8 63.4 53.0 56.2 57.4 61.7 39.7 36.1 58.4
Source: Attachment table 13A.35

Effectiveness — Appropriateness indicators

Assessed long-term care arrangements

Proportion of clients recommended to remain in the community, 2013-14

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13).
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 51.4 62.2 42.3 50.7 40.9 64.2 67.8 74.3 52.7
Source: Attachment table 13A.39

Hospital patient days used by aged care type patients

Proportion of separations for 'aged care type' public hospitals patients that were 35 days or longer, 2013-14

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 6.7 29.7 13.0 15.5 13.7 13.7 28.7 58.5 11.5
Source: Attachment table 13A.41

Effectiveness — Quality indicators

Compliance with service standards for residential care

Proportion of all re-accredited residential aged care services that have been granted a re accreditation approval for a period of three years, as at 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 97.6 98.5 95.2 98.3 98.0 100.0 100.0 83.3 97.6
Source: Attachment table 13A.46

Compliance with service standards for community care

Proportion of reviews that met all expected outcomes under each of the Standards (NRCP and Home Care services), 30 June 2015

Standard 1 — Effective management

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 82.1 93.2 82.7 80.6 100.0 86.7 100.0 76.9 86.0
Source: Attachment table 13A.48

Standard 2 — Appropriate access and service delivery

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 83.2 98.9 89.8 83.9 100.0 90.0 100.0 38.5 88.6
Source: Attachment table 13A.48

Standard 3 — Service user rights and responsibilities

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 95.8 100.0 99.0 90.3 100.0 100.0 100.0 84.6 97.4
Source: Attachment table 13A.48

Complaints resolution

Number of complaints received by the Complaints Scheme per 1000 permanent care recipients, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 21.8 23.0 22.9 15.1 19.7 24.5 11.8 37.1 21.6
Source: Attachment table 13A.47

Efficiency indicators

Cost per output unit

Australian Government expenditure on aged care assessments, per assessment, 2013-14

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 542 446 592 595 657 512 475 1244 537
Source: Attachment table 13A.50

Expenditure per head of target population

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), 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
$ 2928 3175 2812 2606 3399 2788 2303 1339 2951
Source: Attachment table 13A.52

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

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  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.58

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 - Without disability.

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  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.58

Maintenance of individual physical function

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, 2014-15.

Average MBI on entry

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 80 64 73 58 68 66 86 84 71
Source: Attachment table 13A.59

Average MBI on exit

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats (chapter 13)
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
No. 91 72 85 67 85 84 93 93 82
Source: Attachment table 13A.59

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.

Indigenous aged care services data
Table number Table title
Table 13A.2 Aged care target population, by remoteness areas
Table 13A.3 People receiving aged care services, 2014-15
Table 13A.24 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care recipients of all ages per 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 50 years or over and as a proportion of all recipients, 30 June
Table 13A.30 Older HACC client characteristics
Table 13A.33 Aged care assessments
Table 13A.38 Elapsed times for aged care services, by Indigenous status
Table 13A.42 Hospital patient days used by those eligible and waiting for residential aged care