Recommended long term care settings following aged care assessments in Australia.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of recommended long term care settings following aged care assessments in Australia. Using unique administrative data on 500,000 aged care assessments, we utilized multinomial logistic regression models to estimate the association between characteristics of the individual (their assistance needs, health conditions and demographic characteristics) and the recommended long-term care setting. The vast majority (94%) of recommended long-term care settings were for private residences (54%) or residential care (40%). Persons assessed in a setting other than a private residence were unlikely to have a recommended setting for a private residence. Consistent with the assessors toolkit, assistance needs were strongly associated with long term care recommendations. Results provide strong support for the evidence-based approach of aged care assessments in Australia. Nonetheless, with improvements in administrative data linkages and ongoing policy reforms, further analysis is required to reinforce extant policy guidelines.