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Business View Australia - August 2015 17
ged
ry
Aged care in Australia is a $13.2
billion industry, which is set for steady
growth in the coming years. It is
expected that the population of the
country will be 39.4 million by 2055
and the number of Australians over
the age of 65 will grow from its current
level to 8.5 million. The existing 2,700
aged care facilities in the country cater
to only 170,000 residents. Colliers
International, a prominent real estate
company, estimates that by 2022 an
additional 69,000 aged care places
will be required.
Over the years the expectations of
residents at aged care facilities has
changed. Earlier, the average age of
residents was lower and they had
a reasonably active lifestyle. With
increased longevity, the proportion of
people who require high-care facilities
has increased. It is expected that this
trend will continue and the demand
for aged care homes that can cater to
high-care needs of the residents will
increase.
Additionally, it has been estimated
that about half of aged care residents
suffer from dementia. This places
evenmore stress on the infrastructure
of the facility and on its nursing staff.
Residents affected with this malady
require special care and need to be
housed and cared for in a manner that
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