Australia's population will age at a faster rate over the next 40 years, posing challenges for our health system.
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The latest Intergenerational Report, released by Treasurer Jim Chalmers in August, paints a blunt picture of an older population that relies on a comparatively smaller workforce to support them while they move into retirement and aged care.
So what are Dubbo service providers doing now to prepare to meet the needs of our elderly residents?
According to a spokesperson from the Western NSW Local Health District, projections show the Dubbo local government area (LGA) is forecast to have a 24 per cent increase in its community of people aged 65 and over between 2021 and 2031.
Like most of Australia, this trend is predicted to continue for several decades.
Though WNSW LHD doesn't operate residential aged-care facilities in the Dubbo LGA, a range of providers are funded by the Commonwealth Government to provide residential aged care facilities and services, with a total of 680 beds in the area.
![A health care worker assists an elderly woman from a van with the emblem for Dubbo Masonic Village on the side (left) and health workers from Masonic Village Moombi with a telehealth cart such as will be coming to Dubbo soon. Picture supplied A health care worker assists an elderly woman from a van with the emblem for Dubbo Masonic Village on the side (left) and health workers from Masonic Village Moombi with a telehealth cart such as will be coming to Dubbo soon. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/2f2e4208-4814-4e7d-b672-ea87858cadf9.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Ageing populations not only affect residential aged-care services but many acute services as well. For example, older people are more likely to; require surgeries like hip or knee replacements, suffer from chronic disease and have longer hospital stays," the spokesperson said.
Aged care services
A residential aged-care facility that is already planning for the older Dubbo community of the future is the Royal Freemasons' Benevolent Institution (RFBI)'s Dubbo Masonic Retirement Village.
However, they said, Commonwealth funding needs to keep in step with demand, and funding has fallen short of what is needed to adequately support the aged care sector, leaving over half of all services operating at a loss.
![Two seniors from Dubbo Masonic Village enjoy a meal. Picture supplied Two seniors from Dubbo Masonic Village enjoy a meal. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/7768cb89-c132-436d-8710-69d1b539c202.jpg/r0_343_6720_4136_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
According to RFBI, this not only restricts capacity to expand, it also hampers providers' ability to invest so that they can innovatively meet the changing needs of older Australians.
RFBI has been around in Dubbo since the 1980s and has grown during this time to meet the needs of today's aged residents. They run two facilities, one retirement village with 45 beds and another residential aged care service that can accommodate 70 residents. The latter offers a range of care including respite and support for those living with dementia.
The sector is plagued by staff shortages, particularly in regional Australia, and RFBI has introduced an international recruitment program to attract experienced aged care staff from overseas. Dubbo has gained four staff members through the program with another three on the way this month.
Deputy CEO, James Shaw, said: "While the aged care sector is already facing workforce shortages, this will only become more problematic as demand for care services increases with our population ageing."
![A unit at RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village. Picture supplied A unit at RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/78cf6b43-fd38-4df4-b4a4-1b0906f883e7.jpg/r0_0_3034_1706_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He said exacerbating this issue is the low rates of pay afforded to aged care workers, and RFBI was pleased with the Fair Work Commission's decision earlier this year to increase award rates for some aged care workers. He said as a result, the organisation has had a reduction in staff turnover - however the rest of aged care workers also needed pay rises.
To answer the need for access to health professionals, RFBI is investing in telehealth carts in its aged care village at Dubbo, which Mr Shaw said would "decrease frequent obstacles to care for residents, such as distance from specialists, waiting time, transportation risks and costs, and loved ones not being able to attend appointments".
"Addressing these challenges will ultimately advance the process of diagnosis and reduce the number of hospitalisations of residents," Mr Shaw said.
Our hospital services
Meanwhile, the LHD is "carefully" considering its facilities - including the Dubbo Hospital through its redevelopment - to make sure they meet population projections.
"In addition to first-class hospital services available to all people in our communities, a range of specialists, teams and services are dedicated to providing safe, high-quality care for older people across the District, including in the Dubbo LGA," the LHD spokesperson said.
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"Aged-care clinical nurse consultants, aged services emergency teams, acute to aged related care services, aged care assessment teams and dementia services, as examples, ensure first-class care is provided and older people can easily navigate care pathways, including transition into community care."
The spokesperson said the district remained committed to improving, expanding and developing access to care, and would continue to explore new, innovative programs and services "to ensure older people continue to receive the care they need."
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