How to minimise your Aged Care
By David Williams
Why is seeking to minimise your personal need for Aged Care a worthwhile goal?
Within ten years, there will be more people over age 65 than under age 14 in Australia. There are already half a million people over 85, two thirds of whom are women.
We need Aged Care when we can no longer live independently. The current Royal Commission into Aged Care will uncover the need for more resources to provide adequate support for older people.
This will go beyond just improving present Aged Care practices. Although the projected lifespans of newborns are on average still increasing, there are signs the wellness of people over 85 may be declining — so even more resources are likely to be needed to maintain the quality of life of older people.
The trigger for entry to Aged Care is often a physiological or a medical one which affects your ability to be independent. It frequently reflects a chronic condition which has built up over time.
It makes sense for each of us to take early action to reduce the likelihood of such an event. The good news is that much is possible.
What’s the first step?
A good start is to take stock of yourself. The SHAPE Analyser is designed for this, so you can use the upgraded version as a start. The orange answers of your SHAPE results provide a focus for your first steps.
Community trends
Age Care is a consequence of dependency. This table (based on average Australian data) shows the longer you live, the shorter your dependency is likely to be. This is not what many people thought previously.
So it’s worth aiming to live as well as you can for the immediate and the longer term.
What’s the next step?
Exercise, social behaviour, cognitive maintenance and diet all interact in an informed approach.
Each of us is different from each other. Our own plans are not necessarily the best for someone else.
This is why we developed the Longevity Plan so each of us can develop a plan for the future which suits us personally. The Longevity Plan follows on naturally from the SHAPE Analyser by encouraging you to focus on your own characteristics and your intentions for the future
The Longevity Plan also provides additional more detailed articles on how to approach Aged Care and Dependency.
