Department of Health and Ageing (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Department of Health and Ageing is an Australia
n Government
department. Its role is to oversee the running of Australia including supporting universal and affordable access to medical, pharmaceutical and hospital services, while helping people to stay healthy through health promotion and disease prevention activities. The department's plan for the future include:
The first change happened in 1987 when the Department of Health was merged with the Department of Community Services in order to form the Department of Community Services and Health.
In June 1991, The Department of Health, Housing and Community Services was formed. This reflected the transfer of housing industry programs from the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce to the Department of Community Services and Health.
In March 1993 the Department of Local Government joined with the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services to form the Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services. Subsequently in 1994 the Department changed its name to the Department of Human Services and Health. Also in 1994, the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was established.
When a new government was elected in March 1996, the Department's name changed to the Department of Health and Family Services. The department gained responsibility for the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
from the former Department of Housing and Regional Development.
Later the department assumed responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health matters from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
.
After the October 1998 election, the Department's name changed to the Department of Health and Aged Care to reflect its new responsibilities and functions. Responsibility for Family and Children's Services, Disability Programs and the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service were transferred to the Department of Family and Community Services on 22 October 1998.
Following the November 2001 election, the Department of Health and Aged Care changed its name to the Department of Health and Ageing.
. As of 2005, these programs included:
Facility based aged care
Community based aged care'
Information services
Assessments required to access services
Global assessment is done by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) which is embedeed within the local hospital and administered by the state health department. Contact your local hospital or Carelink for your local ACAT.
Local assessment is done at the service that is being accessed. For some services the format of assessment is legislated, for example the Client Information and Referral Record (CIARR).
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
department. Its role is to oversee the running of Australia including supporting universal and affordable access to medical, pharmaceutical and hospital services, while helping people to stay healthy through health promotion and disease prevention activities. The department's plan for the future include:
- Developing a coherent national Health and Ageing system.
- Using knowledge and information to deliver better services.
- Using integrated funding to deliver more effective services.
- Driving the system with the experience of the customer.
Ministers
Parliamentary Officeholders- The current Minister for Health and Ageing is Nicola RoxonNicola RoxonNicola Louise Roxon is an Australian politician, and is the Minister for Health and Ageing. She has been a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives since 1998, representing the Division of Gellibrand, in the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria.-Early and personal life:She...
- The current Minister for Indigenous Health is Warren SnowdonWarren SnowdonWarren Edward Snowdon is an Australian politician. He is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Division of Northern Territory from July 1987 to March 1996, and from October 1998 to November 2001.Since November 2001 he has represented the...
- The current Minister for Mental Health and Ageing is Mark ButlerMark ButlerMark Christopher Butler has been the Australian Labor Party representative for the electoral division of Port Adelaide in north-western Adelaide, South Australia since the 2007 federal election, succeeding prior Labor MP Rod Sawford....
- The current Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing is Catherine King
Background
The Department of Health was established in 1921 and has since undergone numerous changes to its name, structure and function.The first change happened in 1987 when the Department of Health was merged with the Department of Community Services in order to form the Department of Community Services and Health.
In June 1991, The Department of Health, Housing and Community Services was formed. This reflected the transfer of housing industry programs from the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce to the Department of Community Services and Health.
In March 1993 the Department of Local Government joined with the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services to form the Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services. Subsequently in 1994 the Department changed its name to the Department of Human Services and Health. Also in 1994, the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was established.
When a new government was elected in March 1996, the Department's name changed to the Department of Health and Family Services. The department gained responsibility for the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program is aimed at reducing homelessness in Australia. SAAP started in 1985 when Commonwealth and State/Territory funding programs were brought together. The object of the new arrangement was to grant financial assistance to the States to administer the SAAP...
from the former Department of Housing and Regional Development.
Later the department assumed responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health matters from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives...
.
After the October 1998 election, the Department's name changed to the Department of Health and Aged Care to reflect its new responsibilities and functions. Responsibility for Family and Children's Services, Disability Programs and the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service were transferred to the Department of Family and Community Services on 22 October 1998.
Following the November 2001 election, the Department of Health and Aged Care changed its name to the Department of Health and Ageing.
Programs administered
Department of Health and Ageing administers various health-related programs in partnership with Medicare AustraliaMedicare Australia
Medicare Australia is an agency of the Australian Government that administers health-related programs including Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme , and others. It is a prescribed agency under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 and a statutory agency within the...
. As of 2005, these programs included:
- Medical Rural Bonded Scheme
- Office of Chemical Safety
- National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee
- Acute Care Division (ACD)
- Ageing and Aged Care Division (AACD)
- Audit and Fraud Control
- Business Group
- Health Workforce Division
- Medical Benefits Division (MBD)
- Mental Health and Chronic Disease Division
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Division (PBD)
- Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
- Office of Health Protection (OHP)
- Primary and Ambulatory Care Division (PACD)
- Population Health Division (PHD)
- Portfolio Strategies Division (PSD)
- Regulatory Policy & Governance Division (RPGD)
- State and Territory Offices
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
Aged care in Australia
Aged care in Australia can be broken into a hierarchy of care.Facility based aged care
- Residential Aged Care (RAC). Three levels of care: low care - previously hostels, high care - previously nursing homes, and high care with dementia. Two levels of costing: mainstream and extra services. Mainstream costs are legislated whilst extra services are the private version of nursing homes. No localised register of beds in Australia, however many smaller organisations collate bed vacancies.
- Respite in RAC (Residential Respite). At the above three levels of care. 63 days a year are subsidized by the government. Access through Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).
Community based aged care'
- Community aged care packages. Three levels of packages: low care - Community Aged Care Package (CACP), high care - Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and high care dementia - Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia (EACHD)
- In home respite. Provided by Commonwealth Respite Centre's which provide an in home care worker to provide relief from their caring role. Access through Carelink on 1800 052 222.
- Home and Community Care (HACC) Services. These are 11 services available all over Australia. Each Local Planning Area (LPA) will have individual contracts administered by the state government's disability/ageing department (i.e. in NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care). Find local services through Carelink.
Information services
- Commonwealth Carelink 1800 052 222. Provides information about aged care and disabilities.
- Aged Care Info Line 1800 500 853. Provides information about aged care reforms and information about entering RAC.
Assessments required to access services
- ACAT:
- Residential aged care
- Residential respite
- Community aged care packages
- Local assessment:
- In home respite
- HACC services
Assessment
There are two types of assessment: global or local.Global assessment is done by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) which is embedeed within the local hospital and administered by the state health department. Contact your local hospital or Carelink for your local ACAT.
Local assessment is done at the service that is being accessed. For some services the format of assessment is legislated, for example the Client Information and Referral Record (CIARR).
See also
- Minister for Health and AgeingMinister for Health and Ageing (Australia)The Minister for Health and Ageing is a portfolio in the Government of Australia with the responsibility for national health policy. The current Minister for Health and Ageing is Nicola Roxon...
- Minister for AgeingMinister for Ageing (Australia)The Australian Minister for Mental Health and Ageing is Mark Butler, who was appointed on 14 September 2010, following the Labor Party's win at the 2010 election...
- List of Australian Commonwealth Government entities