HMS, HAG 2017 HSC 23

To what extent does Australia’s health care system benefit from having a healthy ageing population? (8 marks)

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Judgment Statement

Australia’s healthcare system benefits to a significant extent from healthy ageing populations through reduced service demand and enhanced community contributions.

Healthcare Cost Reduction

A healthy ageing population substantially reduces healthcare expenditure and resource demands across multiple service areas.
Older Australians who maintain good physical and mental health require fewer hospitalisations, emergency department visits and specialist consultations.
For example, seniors who engage in regular physical activity experience lower rates of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.
This demonstrates strong benefits for healthcare sustainability as prevention reduces costly treatment interventions.
Healthy ageing decreases pharmaceutical expenditure and long-term care facility utilisation.
Evidence shows significant advantages through reduced burden on Medicare and public hospital systems.

Community Workforce Contributions

Healthy older Australians provide considerable value to healthcare and community sectors through volunteer work and informal caregiving.
Many healthy seniors contribute thousands of hours annually to organisations like hospital auxiliaries and community transport services.
This demonstrates substantial effectiveness in supplementing formal healthcare workforce capacity.
For example, volunteer drivers enable rural patients to access medical appointments, while peer support programs help manage chronic conditions.
However, this benefit shows limitations when considering that not all older adults can participate equally due to varying health status.

Reaffirmation

Overall assessment confirms significant benefits from healthy ageing populations for Australia’s healthcare system.
The evidence overwhelmingly supports major advantages through reduced healthcare costs and valuable community contributions.
While some limitations exist in universal participation, the substantial positive impacts clearly demonstrate that investing in healthy ageing strategies provides excellent returns for healthcare system sustainability.

Show Worked Solution

Judgment Statement

Australia’s healthcare system benefits to a significant extent from healthy ageing populations through reduced service demand and enhanced community contributions.

Healthcare Cost Reduction

A healthy ageing population substantially reduces healthcare expenditure and resource demands across multiple service areas.
Older Australians who maintain good physical and mental health require fewer hospitalisations, emergency department visits and specialist consultations.
For example, seniors who engage in regular physical activity experience lower rates of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.
This demonstrates strong benefits for healthcare sustainability as prevention reduces costly treatment interventions.
Healthy ageing decreases pharmaceutical expenditure and long-term care facility utilisation.
Evidence shows significant advantages through reduced burden on Medicare and public hospital systems.

Community Workforce Contributions

Healthy older Australians provide considerable value to healthcare and community sectors through volunteer work and informal caregiving.
Many healthy seniors contribute thousands of hours annually to organisations like hospital auxiliaries and community transport services.
This demonstrates substantial effectiveness in supplementing formal healthcare workforce capacity.
For example, volunteer drivers enable rural patients to access medical appointments, while peer support programs help manage chronic conditions.
However, this benefit shows limitations when considering that not all older adults can participate equally due to varying health status.

Reaffirmation

Overall assessment confirms significant benefits from healthy ageing populations for Australia’s healthcare system.
The evidence overwhelmingly supports major advantages through reduced healthcare costs and valuable community contributions.
While some limitations exist in universal participation, the substantial positive impacts clearly demonstrate that investing in healthy ageing strategies provides excellent returns for healthcare system sustainability.

♦♦ Mean mark 49%.