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The AMA argued that the Australian government lacked a structural plan for mental health management and that the future of mental health treatment in Australia was in a dangerous position. The Australian government spent $9.1 billion on mental health related services in 2017. This averaged out to $375 per person, a rise from $359 in the year prior.
In 2015, the median age of death from dementia was 88.6 years, compared to 81.9 years for all deaths. [3] Approximately 20% of all dementia deaths occurred in people aged 75–84 and 70% in those 85 years of age and over. [3] Dementia mostly affects the elderly with approximately 95% of all dementia deaths occurring after the age of 74. [3]
With this rise in chronic diseases as a result of the growing elderly population, health care services are in high demand. [15] In 2012, 98% of Australia's elderly population visited a health expert and 57% of those aged 65 and above visited a specialist, which is 29% greater than those aged below 65. [15]
In Australia, many aged care services are subsidised by the Department of Health to help keep costs manageable and affordable. [3] Australians who are eligible for government subsidies to help fund the costs of aged care services will still be expected to contribute to the cost of services if they can afford to.
Geriatric psychiatry, also known as geropsychiatry, psychogeriatrics or psychiatry of old age, is a branch of medicine and a subspecialty of psychiatry dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative, cognitive impairment, and mental disorders in people of old age.
Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that out-of-pocket payments increased four-and-a-half times faster than government funding in 2014–15. [62] This has led to large numbers of patients skipping treatment or medicine. [63] Australian out-of-pocket health expenses are the third highest in the developed world. [62] [1]
Several health problems become more prevalent as people get older. These include mental health problems as well as physical health problems, especially dementia. Even so, it has been estimated that population ageing only explains 0.2 percentage points of the annual growth rate in medical spending of 4.3 percent since 1970.
Up to 15% of the 10 year life expectancy gap compared to non-Indigenous Australians has been attributed to mental health disorders. [54] Mental health should be taken into consideration in the Aboriginal concept of health and well-being. [55] In the incidence of children and the elderly many problems tend to be hidden.