CNA426 Policy and Leadership in Older Person Care

Introduction

The term elderly refers to old, ageing, or aged individuals, who are approaching or have approached the survival expectancy of an average human being. The characterization of old age or senior citizens differs from region to region, but according to the world health organization, or WHO, old age in the developed countries begins at 60 years of age (Henderson et al. 2017). The world has recently witnessed an unprecedented upsurge in the elderly population throughout the world, and even more so, in Australia. (Wong et al. 2016). This report focuses on the elderly population of Australia, and the policies put in place by the government to look after them. It also elucidates on the data gathered following an environmental scan and attempts to decipher and elaborate on the same.

Funding In Aged Care

Citizens of or over the age of 65 years old are considered aged or elderly in the country of Australia. The population of the elderly in the country has been steadily rising since the 1970s, where it comprised of about 5% of the total population, to almost thrice the percentage in the year 2017 (Stargatt et al. 2017). At such a pace, the number of aged people in the country will reach close to 8.8 million by the year 2057. The elderly population of the country is a diverse mixture of both indigenous, as well as non-indigenous Australian (Lewis et al. 2015). Each boasts their own unique lifestyle and socioeconomic backgrounds.Catering to such a variegated population may pose a number of challenges to the Government, as each have their own trials and tribulations.  Nevertheless, the country strives to provide, serve and look after its senior citizens. The parliament of Australian passed the Aged Care Act of 1997, which facilitates elderly care in the country (Stargatt et al. 2017). It ensures regulation of health care services and proper funding to do so. Moreover, the act provides treatments free or at subsidized rates, and seeks to provide superior quality of medical assistance and care to every citizen (Charlesworth and Howe 2018).Apart from that, the government allows access to subsidized amenities in the old age care homes, providing the residents with basic needs like daily meals, clean garments, personal care items like toiletries, and health care services like medications, rehabilitation, and primary healthcare (Henderson et al. 2017). These homes are primarily regulated and funded by the government of Australia (Lewis et al. 2015).

Cultural and Family Involvement in Elderly Care

In a country like Australia, where the gerontology population is ever increasing, the influence of cultural and family involvement in the care of elderly is profound. Family caregivers are termed informal carers, who offer assistance, both medical and with activities that need to be undertaken on a daily basis (Rickard 2017). They are primarily the younger female members of the family, and are mostly unpaid.  While there is a slow but significant paradigm shift in other regions of the world towards the formal health care homes for the elderly, the scenario is opposite in case of Australia; the country has witnessed a growth in the number of informal health care providers in the recent years (Olding et al. 2016). In fact, a government survey suggests that there has been a 5.5% increase in informal carers and non-primary carers in the country since the year 2018. The demand for informal carer is estimated to increase in the coming years, which can be attributed to a number of advantages of the same over availing the other alternative- formal carers or institutionalization of the elderly (Rickard 2017). Availing informal carers is cheaper than formal carers like nurses or similar agencies. Unknown faces may often lead to mental distress in the elderly, and the ensuing lack of communication and comfort may have further detrimental effects.

It is also observed the need and demand for informal care is higher in the remote areas when compared to major cities. This might be due to increased smoking, alcohol abuse and obesity in the remote regions. The unavailability of formal health care services may also play a significant role (Stargatt et al. 2017).

Physical Inactivity

Physical inactivity is a leading cause of developing chronic disorders later in life. Most of the degenerative diseases plaguing the elderly population is due to a prolonged lack of physical activities and exercise (Gaetano 2016). Conditions like muscular atrophy, loss of physical strength and endurance are the most common issues which are directly linked to immobility, often ensuing further, mostly degenerative and terminal complications. According to Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Adults for the age group 18 to 64 years old, every individual should get physical exercise every day, at least for 2.5 to 3 hours, to ensure optimal physical health (Ding et al. 2017). For older adults, of 65 years of age or more than that, it is recommended that such individuals remain active as much as possible, every day. While strenuous activities my not be encouraged, elderly individuals can take part in less intense physical activities like brisk walking, light jogging, stretching, swimming, et cetera (Coombes et al. 2015).

Australian statistics show some grim details about the lack of involvement in physical activities over the past few years. It is estimated that 56% of the adults in the country are not sufficiently physically active, with the percentage increasing significantly when considering the population belonging to the lower income group(Wong et al. 2016). The amount of physical exercise in elderly individuals of 65 years old or above is far sparse. Most of the senior citizens do not get enough physical exercise, and a significant number of individuals do not exercise at all(Coombes et al. 2015). Although the statistics differ from region to region, certain factors contribute to the cause, mostly ignorance and lack of awareness. Some communities discourage elderly individuals from undertaking any kind of physically strenuous activities, mostly due to fear of fracture or injury. Instead, they are mostly encouraged to take up sedentary activities, such as reading books, watching television programmes, socializing, lying down or sitting for prolonged periods of time at once(Henderson et al. 2017).Other than that, sports and the physical fitness facilities cater mainly to the younger population, and might not appeal to the elderly citizens. Apart from these factors, lack of awareness about the significance and effects of physical exercises on the well-being of the elderly is another component which puts off the inclination towards physical exertion in the particular age group(Crosland et al. 2019). Most believe that the human system does not require physical training to stay fit. Older people are actively discouraged from taking part in the same, since any injury sustained may lead to terminal complications. This is particularly true for communities belonging to the lower socio-economy, where lifestyle choices and lack of proper health care options are the main concerns leading up to the current scenario(Wong et al. 2016).

The leading cause of death among the elderly population of Australia is ischaemic heart diseases. The condition accounts for over 10% death, nationally. Ischemic heart disease are health conditions caused by narrowed blood vessels. Narrow lumens of the arteries result in less oxygen being delivered to the heart and the other parts of the body(Usher, Bhullar and Jackson 2020). Causative factors leading up to the disease are high cholesterol content of the blood, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, et cetera.  Most of the above-mentioned condition can be managed by optimum amounts of daily physical training(Coombes et al. 2015). Problems like unchecked obesity and diabetes mellitus in Australia can be avoided with better health care and awareness programmes(Wong et al. 2016).

Social Isolation

The term may be referred to diminished, or a total lack of personal relationships with family members and friends. The same can extend to a broader sense, where individuals lose touch with the community as well, resulting in a state called social isolation. Socially isolation has been proven to have serious detrimental effects on the emotional and physiological well being of an individual, and the effects increase many folds when the individual is a senior citizen (Usher,Bhullar and Jackson 2020). It is reported that a solitary or isolated lifestyle increases a person’s chances of untimely death, much more than the risks posed by obesity, regular smoking,and a sedentary lifestyle. Apart from that, risks of developing mental health issues like depression, anxiety, dementia and suicide increase almost by 50% due to prolonged isolation(Ashby-Mitchell et al. 2017). Poor social interactions also elevate one’s chances of developing severe cardio vascular disorders and stroke.

Social exclusion among the elderly in Australia have been a particularly critical issue in the recent years. The population surge of senior citizens is a major issue in developing countries, and Australia is no different. The government of the country strives to look after its ever-growing elderly population, but certain pitfalls remain despite the best health care services (Wong et al. 2016). Whereas the government tries to work for the betterment of the citizens, issues such as social exclusion and isolation are often overlooked. Social exclusion may result in development of loneliness. There are multiple factors which may result in isolation, such as social fragmentation, disorganization in a particular region, et cetera(Singer 2018). Other than that, other reasons, such as unemployment, receiving monetary support, and failing financial state often lead to social exclusion. There are some instances of self-isolation seen among the elderly, and these are mostly cases of deteriorating emotional health (Rohde et al. 2016).

Using of social media has also been reported to result in deteriorating social life, although it depends on the particular user and his or her situation. While the number of social media users have increased dramatically in the last few years or so, users complain of online relationships being shallow and not as meaningful (Gaetano 2016). Most individuals do not consider online friends as real companions. While isolation and loneliness vary across the elderly and the youth, it is more prevalent among individuals staying alone. Most elderly citizens staying alone reported diminished social activities, and a sedentary life further decreases any chances of interaction.

While the issue is widespread across the country, there are certain measures that can be taken to prevent the detrimental effects of loneliness among the elderly (Stargatt et al. 2017). Some of them are:

• Elderly individuals should be encouraged to take up paid jobs, which would keep them involved while also encourage them to maintain a social life.
• They should also be encouraged to take up volunteering jobs with local organization. That would give them a sense of worth and meaningfulness.
• Building of meaningful relationships among residents of the community must be promoted through events and outdoor activities.  
• Lastly, the government should take initiative to spread awareness about the ill effects of isolation and loneliness.

Conclusion

The global increment in the number of senior citizen can be directly accredited to the breakthroughs in the field of medical research. Modern technology and medication has increased the average human life span dramatically over the years. While such an achievement is rightly celebrated, the modern world is faced with a scarcity of resources and means to look after its elderly population. The government runs old age homes for the elderly, and a significant amount of funding is availed by the institutions. Nevertheless, despite such advanced facilities, there is a growing demand for informal care givers, a trend which is speculated to grow in the coming years. The scarcity of physical activity among the elderly revealed by the environmental scan was not reassuring either. Apart from that, social exclusion has become a major issue among the senior citizens of the country. Australia has come up with several initiatives over the years, but unfortunately, the adverse effects of the sudden growth in population still prevail in the country, and are unlikely to be solved in the upcoming years.

Reference List

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