Key Recommendations

The future of our ageing population has long been a concern to the Australian Government, so what does it plan to do about it?

Research shows that 90% of individuals over 60 still live in their private dwellings, while only 7% of individuals over 70 are cared for by residential aged care subsidised by the government. More choices need to be on offer for the elderly who prefer to receive aged care in their own home. In a bid to improve the services on offer to our elderly, the Productivity Commission has been invited to make some recommendations.

In response, the Productivity Commission has made the following suggestions:

1. Give the elderly the choice of receiving care at home and choosing their provider.
2. Support individuals who wish to remain at home and maintain independence in order to alleviate pressure on the aged care system.
3. Provide access to a government-sponsored line of credit.
4. Allow individuals who sell their home to put the sale proceeds into an Australian Age Pensioners Savings Account.
5. Increase planning for aged care services in remote and rural areas.
6. Fund the training of more individuals in geriatric and palliative care.
7. Make the aged care system easier for families and individuals to understand.
8. Allow individuals to pay for their care on a daily basis through a reverse-mortgage scheme that lets those over 60 borrow equity against their home.
9. Means test individuals and subsidise care for those who cannot afford it.
10. Address the interests of groups that have special needs and fund the care of patients suffering from chronic diseases like dementia and schizophrenia.

For more information on the review made by the productivity commission, click here.