There are two looming threats to overwhelm the already stressed aged care sector, our ageing population and a second wave of COVID-19.

The Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety has uncovered a range of issues facing Australia’s aged care industry, and so far the government has responded with grants and additional funding to the aged-care sector.

In a recent article for Community Care Review, by InteliCare‘s CEO and Managing Director, Jason Waller, proposes a solution to support the aged care industry.

 

“Trying to address the issues with residential aged care by throwing more money at the problem is simply putting a finger in the dyke. The problem needs to be tackled further upstream so that residential age care becomes the safety net rather than the norm.”

 

“The larger issue is that government funding will never keep pace with demand because of the population demographic.”

 

The ageing baby boomer generation is creating an unbalanced taxation base that cannot support government-funded residential care for over 15% of the population. Australian need to build a sustainable aged care system.

 

“Over 80 per cent of Commonwealth funds goes to only 15 per cent of recipients. This isn’t a sustainable model. Boosting the sector now to allow technology for in-home care to be reimbursable through Medicare is the obvious first step.”

 

Smarter in-home solutions, like InteliLiving, use the latest technology to learn a person’s daily routine, detect potential risks, and alert families.

 

“It provides a mechanism for addressing health and wellbeing at the beginning of the ageing journey. From there, issues can be detected intercepted and resolved before they deteriorate to the point where families and the elderly are left with few alternatives.”

 

Ensuring the families and carers of vulnerable older Australians know if the person is showing signs of medical conditions and providing an opportunity for early intervention that could avoid a visit to the hospital and a move to full-time care.

Learn more about InteliLiving 

Read Jason’s full article in Community Care Review