An AMA delegation of geriatricians, psychiatrists, general practitioners, and rehabilitation and palliative care specialists will today make a presentation to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Caring for Older Australians in Canberra.

Medical care for older Australians was not included in the original Terms of Reference for the Inquiry, but the Commission agreed to the AMA’s request to discuss this important aspect of aged care.

AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the medical care of the aged in our community and in residential aged care represents a continuing and growing challenge. 

“The demand for healthcare services for older Australians is rising and future generations of older people are likely to have more complex health problems and demand a higher level of service,” Dr Hambleton said.

“The single factor that is most critical to quality care is timely patient access to a doctor. 

“With the number of older people aged 65 to 84 years more than doubling from 2.6 million to 6.3 million over the next 40 years, the Government must guarantee access to an appropriate level and mix of medical services within the aged care sector.

“The interface between community services for older Australians, the aged care sector and doctors will need to be well-coordinated and functional.

“The medical workforce will need appropriate support and resources to provide medical care outside of their consultation rooms in order to meet the needs for medical care for older Australians,” Dr Hambleton said.

The key needs for older Australians that the AMA will discuss with the Commission today include:

• Ongoing access to medical care for residents in nursing homes through service arrangements with aged care providers:
• A specific aged care accreditation standard for medical care to ensure that access to medical care in aged care is monitored and scrutinised like other important quality, service and care requirements;
• MBS rebates for services provided by doctors and an expanded role for practice nurses that reflect the time and complexity of providing ongoing medical care to older people in aged care facilities and in the community;
• Increased aged care subsidies to allow aged care providers to provide:

             o    adequately equipped clinical treatment areas that afford patient privacy;
             o    information technology to enable access to medical records and to improve medication management; and
             o    wage parity for nurses between the acute and aged care sectors; and

• Implementation of the promised sub-acute beds for rehabilitation and convalescence so that there are appropriate services for people who leave hospital but need further care.

2 July 2010

CONTACT:    John Flannery        02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761

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