SA Health policy for older people 2010-2016
The South Australian Health Department has released, Older People 2010-2016 – the health policy for older people, which provides advice and guidance to all staff when developing or reviewing health care relevant to older people, their family and family carers.
South Australia has the highest proportion of older people in the nation, with one in six people over the age of 65. In the next 15 years, this rate will nearly double as the “baby boomer” generation ages.
The Policy is based on the below principles.
Independence: Health services will encourage and give support for older people to manage their own lives and make their own decisions.
Choice: Preferences for care and support to be respected even when frailty and disability develops.
Healthy Ageing: Services to optimise capacity and good health.
Participation: As people age, family, friends and carers become more important and it is important their role is recognised and supported.
Accessibility: The planning and the delivery of services need to be based on viable long term partnerships within and across the whole community and link people with appropriate services in a timely way.
Customer focused: Services that are flexible, consider the holistic needs of the person and give real choice of service.
Responsiveness: Health services will respond appropriately to the particular needs of Aboriginal people, people from multicultural backgrounds and people who live in the country who have specific needs.
Quality of life and death: Enhance choice, provide access to information and involvement in decision making on the treatment of their illness and/or the manner of their death.
