The Preventative Health Journal - Australia & New Zealand

A new study has found a high rate of preventable health problems among older Australians who are relying on home and community care services in order to remain in their homes and independent.

Professor Louisa Jorm, the research director at the Sax Institute, says data from Australia’s largest cohort, the 45 and Up Study, has identified that many of these older Australians have chronic health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and depression as well as high rates of both underweight and overweight, and low levels of physical activity. 

“This is a large, hidden group of Australians who have chronic diseases and a huge reliance on public services so understanding how they are using these services is crucial to understanding healthy ageing,” said professor Jorm. 

Professor Jorm, who presented the data to the Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) Community Care Conference, says the findings provide enormous potential for implementing programs that target lifestyle risk factors through the home and community care sector. 

“HACC clients tend to be sedentary and they have high rates of falls. This emphasises the potential value of programs to increase physical activity, with a focus on improving strength and balance, for this group of older people,” she said. 

Every day 830,000 Australians use nursing, meals, household assistance, transport, day centre and respite care services. 

“This is a major service sector for older people and up until now we have had limited evidence to assess the potential of community care as a setting for the delivery of preventive health interventions,” says Professor Jorm. 

The study, the first to examine associations between a range of lifestyle-related factors and HACC service use, revealed high users of HACC services included women with lower pre-tax household incomes, those without a partner and not in paid work and Australians from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds living in regional or remote locations. 

“People who are obese, sedentary, smokers, who reported falling in the past year or who eat little fruit or vegetables are significantly more likely to be Home and Community Care service users,” says Professor Jorm.  

The Home and Community Care (HACC) programme provides integrated services to the frail elderly and people with disabilities living at home and their carers, in order to support them to be more independent, to enhance their quality of life and to prevent their inappropriate admission to long term residential care. 

To find out more, contact: (03) 9686 3460, or visit: www.agedcare.org.au.

The 45 and Up Study 

The Sax Institute established the 45 and Up Study in 2008. Australia’s largest long term study of ageing comprises over 265,000 participants aged 45 and over is providing a crucial understanding of the health needs of people as they age.

The study will identify Australians who might particularly benefit from prevention or early treatment and evaluate the impact of current and future health services. 

The 45 and Up Study provides health leaders with an unprecedented, world-leading, resource for answering questions about ageing. Study participants provide information about their personal circumstances, their health, the services they use and allow researchers to link to their medical records. 

Acknowledgements: The 45 and Up Study is managed by the Sax Institute in collaboration with major partner Cancer Council New South Wales; and partners the National Heart Foundation of Australia (NSW Division); NSW Health; beyondblue: the national depression initiative; Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services NSW; and UnitingCare Ageing. The study was also supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council.