Benefits Of Healthy And Productive Ageing

Australia is one of the most advantaged aged care systems in the world. The increasing numbers of ageing population is one of the major transformations being experienced by

Seniors, ages 65 and older, are the fastest growing population group in Canada. (“Canada’s aging population,” 2002) Two main causes of the aging of Canada’s population is an increase in life expectancy and the change in fertility rates between the years of 1940’s and 1960’s, this generation is now known as the baby boomers. (“Canada’s aging population,” 2002) In 2001, one out of every eight Canadians was over the age of 65, and it is estimated that by 2026, one in every five Canadians will reach the age of 65 or older. (“Canada’s aging population,” 2002) Moreover, it is estimated that more than 16 million Canadians live with at least one chronic disease. (Singh, Khan & Paul, 2009) In Canada chronic diseases accounted for 89% of deaths in 2005. (Singh, Khan & Paul, 2009) The demographic shift and rise in prevalence of chronic diseases will be a major test for the health care system of Canada which it might not be ready for. Canadians across the nation are forced to wait two or three times longer for necessary medical procedures than citizens of other countries who also have universal healthcare systems. (“Wait Times Alliance,” 2014) In a 2005 poll done by Pollara Strategic Insights, when Canadians were asked what the most serious problem facing the healthcare system was, the highest number of respondents (43%) identified long wait times. (“Waiting Too Long,”

Experience working in the field of health care lends insight to the growing needs of the older adult population, and the barriers which impede our capacity to meet them. As the Baby Boomer age is approaching older adulthood, the rise for financial,

“The Australian health care system is a highly functioning and accessible system based on universal principles of access and equity”.

The Global News article brings to light how bad the wait times in emergency rooms really are with people 55 and older waiting more than 2 days to see a doctor. This article informs the public of the situation providing enough statistics and resources in a reader friendly tone, while giving examples of how a province, like Saskatchewan, is

Despite the general knowledge most people have on health care, this research examines and compares health care delivery for older adults in The United States of America and England. The goal is to adequately analyze and compare the health care delivery for the older population in both countries. The main discussion will be about Medicare and National Health Service; further, some main topics to consider are coverage, costs, and overall effectiveness. The findings are from secondary, academic online resources.

The aging population is growing in Canada with an all-time high of over 4 million in 2010. The elderly population alone requires care for treating chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, which require expensive treatments. The number of hospitalizations for such diseases has gone up substantially and is expected to increase. Thus, an increasing aging population will require more and more money from the publicly funded health care budget in the decades to come.

In 2017, an estimated 3.8 million Australians (15% of the population) are aged 65 and over compared with 2.2 million (13%) in 2007. An ageing population leads to:-

effect on the aging population, which may reduce the quality of life, increase costs for

Lack of doctors is only one facet to this multifaceted problem. Accessibility in terms of having the financial resources to obtain care is another. “Individuals in lower social status groups have the highest rates

Ahmed, Lemkau, Nealeigh, & Mann (2001), focused their study on problems facing non-elderly Americans attempting to access health care. In particular, their research shows that there is a correlation between greater access to care and better health status, along with reduced hospitalization rates. This is strong testimony for the need to remove barriers to care. Barriers encountered in this study were lack of telephone, transportation issues, and difficulty taking time off work to obtain care to name a few.

The implementation of the health care reform law has yielded the largest reduction in the aim for uninsured for the last couple of decades. But, while the uninsured rates have decline access to care has now become a prevalent issue. “ The expansion of coverage is not an expansion of actual care and this distinction is becoming very clear’ Heritage ( 2014) Access to

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are not receiving adequate healthcare or access to hospitals in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that only 20% of Aboriginal people who live in remote communities of more than 50 people have access to a doctor on a daily basis. Of these people, only 3% saw a doctor in their community once a month. There are more than 140 community healthcare services across Australia providing care to Aboriginal communities, however, less than 50% have medical coverage. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016).

With Australia’s ageing population, the demand for specialised person-centred dementia care is increasing. Progress was achieved upon recognition of dementia as a National Health Priority, however, older people are still struggling to access appropriate care they need. Three key factors that limit the access to appropriate care include government policies, healthcare system and healthcare professional. These factors are interlinked and have cascading effect

Access to health care refers to the individual’s ability to obtain and use needed services (Ellis & Hartley, 2008). Access to health care affects a multitude of people. Uninsured, underinsured, elderly, lower socioeconomic class, minorities, and people that live in remote areas are at the highest risk for lack of access to health care. There are also economical and political roles that complicate access to health care. Access to health care is a multi-faceted concept involving geographic, economics, or sociocultural issues. With my extensive research on access to health care, I hope to provide influences regarding; who is affected by lack of access, geographic, economic, sociocultural access, and