Alsaeed Turki, Washington Tracy, Xia Bo
School of Agriculture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 11;13:1525988. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1525988. eCollection 2025.
Australia's aging population presents significant socioeconomic challenges, necessitating the aged care sector reforms. Projections indicate continued growth in this demographic, prompting the implementation of various funding mechanisms to support healthy aging. However, notable disparities persist, including care quality concerns, workforce shortages, and safety issues, hindering the sector's ability to meet consumer expectations. Despite recognition of these challenges, no comprehensive overview exists addressing these shortcomings. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the literature to identify these challenges and inform policy development.
In this study, a scoping review was conducted, examining primary and secondary sources, including peer-reviewed articles, government reports, and aged care policies. The Scopus database was searched using relevant keywords, and a snowball search technique was employed to identify additional literature. The inclusion criteria were applied, and journal articles were screened for titles and abstracts before full-text analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted on selected literature, and secondary data were from administrative and organizational websites and agencies.
Findings indicate a preference for home-based care among older Australians due to concerns about quality and safety in aged care facilities. While the Australian government has developed reforms and policies to govern the sector, funding remains insufficient to meet the escalating demand for high-quality care. Challenges include workforce shortages, the growing burden of aging, and difficulties in adopting emerging technologies, which impact the quality of care delivered to older Australians.
This paper serves as a resource for policymakers and aged care professionals, informing the development of reforms to address pressing issues in the sector. A comprehensive evaluation of existing knowledge provides a clearer understanding of current and future obstacles ensuring a holistic view and fostering the development of sustainable aged care reforms.
澳大利亚人口老龄化带来了重大的社会经济挑战，这使得老年护理行业改革成为必要。预测表明这一人口结构将持续增长，促使实施各种资金机制以支持健康老龄化。然而，显著的差距依然存在，包括护理质量问题、劳动力短缺和安全问题，这些都阻碍了该行业满足消费者期望的能力。尽管认识到了这些挑战，但尚无全面概述来解决这些不足。本研究旨在对文献进行全面分析，以识别这些挑战并为政策制定提供参考。
在本研究中，进行了一项范围综述，审查了包括同行评审文章、政府报告和老年护理政策在内的一手和二手资料来源。使用相关关键词在Scopus数据库中进行搜索，并采用滚雪球搜索技术来识别其他文献。应用纳入标准，在全文分析之前对期刊文章的标题和摘要进行筛选。对选定的文献进行主题分析，二手数据来自行政和组织网站及机构。
研究结果表明，由于对老年护理机构的质量和安全存在担忧，澳大利亚老年人更倾向于居家护理。虽然澳大利亚政府已制定改革措施和政策来管理该行业，但资金仍然不足，无法满足对高质量护理不断增长的需求。挑战包括劳动力短缺、老龄化负担加重以及采用新兴技术的困难，这些都影响了为澳大利亚老年人提供的护理质量。
本文为政策制定者和老年护理专业人员提供了参考资料，为解决该行业紧迫问题的改革发展提供了信息。对现有知识的全面评估能更清楚地了解当前和未来的障碍，确保形成整体观点并促进可持续的老年护理改革发展。
