Barriers to health care reported by carers of older Australians: new evidence from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers
Jeromey Temple
A E , Frances Batchelor B , Kerry Hwang A B , Jay Stiles C and Lidia Engel D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Demography and Ageing Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia.
B National Ageing Research Institute, 34–54 Poplar Road, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia.
C Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia.
D Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Vic. 3125, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: Jeromey.Temple@unimelb.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 27(3) 221-227 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY20162
Submitted: 1 July 2020 Accepted: 12 December 2020 Published: 17 May 2021
Abstract
Carers play an important role in assisting older care recipients with their daily lives and attending to their health care. Yet research has largely overlooked the barriers to health care that carers of older Australians themselves experience. This study finds that, among those attempting to access care, approximately 31.2% of carers of older Australians reported a barrier to health care, with one-third of this group reporting barriers at many points in the healthcare system. Barriers to care were considerable for those attempting to access dental, GP and medical specialist services (27.8%, 18.3% and 15.2% respectively), but lower for accessing hospital services (8.6%). People living with a disability or those in high carer distress had a minimum threefold increase in the odds of experiencing a barrier to care, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 3.35 (2.10–5.36) and 3.37 (2.33–4.88) respectively. Carers of older Australians noted cost as an important barrier to care, but between 20% and 40% cited being too busy or not having enough time to access dental, GP and medical specialist services (21%, 39% and 26% respectively). Addressing the barriers to health care reported by carers is critical not only to their own health and well-being, but also to that of care recipients.
Keywords: barriers, carers, cost of health care, health care, older Australians.
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