The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released its latest welfare snapshot series report. This report is on the topic of aged care for Indigenous Australians.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have a much younger age structure than the non-Indigenous Australians, due to higher rates of fertility and deaths occurring at younger ages. But the Indigenous population is ageing.

Access to aged care services in Australia is determined by need, rather than age. However, people aged 50 and over are looked at in planning for aged care, rather than 65.

2016 data shows around 124,000 Indigenous Australians are aged 50 and over. That’s 16% of the Indigenous population, compared to 1.5% of the total Australian population aged 50 and over.

How do Indigenous Australians use aged care services?

Indigenous Australians are recognised as ‘people with special needs’ under the Aged Care Act 1997.

One of the key challenges for the aged care system is providing culturally appropriate care to Indigenous Australians, especially for those living in remote and very remote areas.

Data on the use of aged care by Indigenous Australians is available from the AIHW National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse. Of those Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over:

• Approx 20,200 receive home support
• Approx 2,900 receive home care
• Approx 1,700 live in residential care (including long term respite care

Indigenous Australians using residential aged care tend to be older than those using home care or home support. About half of those in residential aged care are 75 and over.

Most (80%) Indigenous Australians receiving aged care live in non-remote areas but the proportion of total Indigenous clients is considerably higher in remote areas.

Another type of aged care is what is known as “flexible” aged care. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program provides culturally appropriate care for Indigenous Australians in locations close to their communities, and services mainly located in remote areas.

Aged Care Use Comparisons with non-Indigenous Australians

Rates of aged care use are higher for Indigenous Australians than for non-Indigenous Australians.

Among people aged 65–74 Indigenous Australians are:

• three times as likely to use home support
• seven times as likely to use home care
• twice as likely to use residential aged care

compared with non-Indigenous Australians.

Support for Indigenous Australians who are Growing Older

Our expert team of health lawyers, estate planning lawyers and elder lawyers provide a range of services to help Indigenous Australians to grow older. These include

• wills (including living wills or advanced care directives)
• aged care accommodation contracts
• negotiating aged care contracts
• complaints or claims for negligence or poor care in an aged care facility.

To speak with our expert and caring team please call 02 4929 3995 or 1800 874 949