New program on rural aged care assessments on February 23rd
February 1, 2010A new Rural Health Education Foundation television program airing on Tuesday 23rd February explores aged care assessments in rural and remote communities.
The broadcast on the Aged Care Assessment Program looks at the role of rural primary health care professionals in the comprehensive assessment of the needs of the ageing and their families. The hour-long program also highlights some of the challenges of Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) in rural and remote Australia, and examines strategies that have been developed to manage these challenges.
Australia’s rural areas ageing “faster”
“Australia has an ageing population, and the ageing trend is even more pronounced in rural areas, so this new program will be useful for many rural and remote health professionals,” says Rural Health Education Foundation CEO Don Perlgut.
“Our new program delivers a number of valuable learning outcomes, including the ability undertake an appropriate referral to an Aged Care Assessment Team,” Mr Perlgut says. “It also provides insight into aged care issues emerging from the projected doubling of the over-65 age group, as a proportion of Australia’s total population, over the next 40 years.”
Presented by an expert panel
The program format is a panel discussion chaired by Dr Norman Swan, Presenter of the Health Report on ABC Radio National. The panel of medical practitioners features Dr Max Graffen, a General Practitioner (Geriatrics) from Wagga Wagga in NSW; Dr Kate Smith, an Occupational Therapist and Research Fellow at the WA Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia; Dr Jane Tolman, a Geriatrician and Director Aged Care Department at Royal Hobart Hospital in Tasmania; and Ms Debra Tooley, Nurse Manager, Parkes and Far West Aged Care Assessment Teams, NSW.
Program funding
The broadcast on the Aged Care Assessment Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Broadcast details
The broadcast on the Aged Care Assessment Program will be across the Rural Health Education Foundation’s satellite television network on Tuesday 23rd February at 8.00pm (AEDT), with repeats at 8.00pm Perth time that same evening (three hours later) and 12.30pm on Friday 26th February. This is a pre-recorded program.
Also available on DVD and via web-streaming
DVD copies of this program will be available after the broadcast for ordering via our website. The program will also be available free on the Internet for viewing via web-streamed video or listening via an audio podcast.
About aged care in Australia
The proportion of the Australian population aged 65 years and over is projected to rise from around 12% in 2010 to 25% by the year 2051. People are living longer and the birth rate has dropped.
Older people often require support and assistance with the tasks of daily living, or they may need to make the difficult decision to enter an aged care facility. The ageing population has already had a significant impact on waiting lists for access to aged care services, some which require an assessment by an Aged Care Assessment Team.
There is a higher proportion of older people living in rural areas.
More information
For more information about the broadcast on the Aged Care Assessment Program - including presenter details, access instructions and associated educational resources - go to the online program summary, or contact the Foundation.