Centre for Policy on Ageing



Acute hospitals and older people in Australia
Author(s)	John McCormack
Journal title	Ageing and Society, vol 22, part 5, September 2002
Pages	pp 637-646
Keywords	Hospital services ; Management [care] ; Policy ; Australia.
Annotation	The Australian health care system is frequently portrayed as being in crisis, with reference to either large financial burdens in the form of hospital deficits or declining service levels. Older people, characterised as a homogeneous category, are repeatedly identified as a major contributor to the crisis, by unnecessarily occupying acute beds while they await a vacancy in a residential home. Several enquiries and hospital task force management groups have been set up to tackle the problem. This article reviews their findings and strategic recommendations, particularly as they relate to older people. Short-term policy responses are being developed which specifically target older people for early discharge and alternative levels of care, and which, while claiming positive intentions, may introduce new forms of age discrimination into the health system. Few of the currently favoured proposals promote age inclusivity and older people's rights to equal access to acute care. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-021003006 A
Classmark	LD: QA: QAD: 7YA
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.