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In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple.
If you’re not really interested in aged care, you should be. Given these figures, you will almost certainly be engaging with aged care services at some stage – either for yourself or supporting family members or friends seeking aged care.
One service you are likely to encounter is residential aged care homes. In the past few years this sector has been under more scrutiny than ever before. Changes to legislation, workforce and funding are in motion. But the question remains as to whether these changes can happen fast enough to meet our ageing population’s needs.
One area of need not being adequately met at present is nutrition. In a new study, we’ve found four in ten older Australians living in residential aged care are not receiving enough of the right types of nutrients, resulting in loss of weight and muscle. This is known as malnutrition.