The ageing population: who will provide the care?
Julie Austin and Tim Marchant
Carers Australia and Carers NSW
Contact Email:   timcarersnsw.asn.au

This paper draws on recent research relating to carers that has national implications across the community as the population ages. Carers Australia commissioned NATSEM to model the supply and availability of carers over the next 30 years as the population ages and the demand for care increases. The results show a dramatic drop in the ratio of carers to older people needing care.

The growing imbalance in the demand and supply of informal care will test the current care model where the bulk of care is provided by family members in the home. The NATSEM projections therefore have a range of implications for existing policy settings in community care, and in particular in existing and future supports for carers and consumers. Unresolved public policy issues which need to be explored include: the relationship between family care and community care; how to accurately estimate unmet need and establish appropriate levels of services, which are then reflected in benchmarks, planning ratios and resourcing; and to what extent should public funding be used to provide paid care and will the private sector respond to demand.

Paper Download Information (if available):
A related paper is available on the Carers Australia Website. Click here

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