The World Class Care Discussion Paper canvasses emerging issues and directions for the health and aged care system against the objectives of access and equity, affordability and sustainability, quality, choice, and responsiveness. Flexibility and better coordination will enable the health and aged care system to respond flexibly and appropriately to the needs of older people with complex and chronic care needs. Most older Australians are neither frail nor in need of long term care. Most older Australians who need care receive some support from informal carers, that is, family, friends and neighbours. In 1998, the ABS estimated that there were 201,000 primary carers of people aged 65 years and over.
Depression is often under-diagnosed in older people.
A significant proportion of older Australians are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have poorer health status than non-indigenous Australians across all age groups. Public and private spending on health has been around 8.2 to 8.4 per cent of Gross National Product from 1991-1998.