SmarterEd

Aussie Maths & Science Teachers: Save your time with SmarterEd

HMS, HAG EQ-Bank 105 MC

The government prioritises healthy ageing as a national research priority because:

  1. Older adults require more expensive medical equipment than younger patients
  2. Healthy ageing enables people to contribute economically for longer reducing government burden
  3. All chronic diseases can be prevented through healthy ageing programs
  4. Retirement villages generate significant tax revenue for local governments
Show Answers Only

\(B\)

Show Worked Solution
  • B is correct: Government encourages healthy ageing to enable economic contribution for longer and reduce economic burden.

Other Options:

  • A is incorrect: Priority is about economic contribution not medical equipment costs.
  • C is incorrect: Healthy ageing doesn’t prevent all chronic diseases but improves outcomes.
  • D is incorrect: Tax revenue from retirement villages is not the primary reason for prioritising healthy ageing.

HMS, HAG EQ-Bank 104 MC

According to the World Health Organisation, healthy ageing is defined as the process of:

  1. Eliminating all chronic diseases in older adults through medical intervention
  2. Developing and maintaining functioning ability that enables wellbeing in older age
  3. Ensuring all older adults remain in paid employment until age 75
  4. Providing free healthcare services to all people over 65 years of age
Show Answers Only

\(B\)

Show Worked Solution
  • B is correct: WHO defines healthy ageing as developing and maintaining functioning ability that enables wellbeing in older age.

Other Options:

  • A is incorrect: Healthy ageing focuses on maintaining function not eliminating all chronic diseases.
  • C is incorrect: Employment until 75 is not part of WHO healthy ageing definition.
  • D is incorrect: Free healthcare provision is policy issue not the definition of healthy ageing.

HMS, HAG 2012 HSC 22

Outline THREE types of carer or volunteer organisations available to help meet the needs of Australia’s ageing population.   (3 marks)

Show Answers Only
  • Community health centres provide nursing services, physiotherapy and health monitoring for elderly people remaining in their homes. These centres offer coordinated care and liaison with other health professionals.
  • Meals on Wheels delivers nutritious meals directly to elderly residents who cannot prepare food independently. This service ensures proper nutrition while enabling seniors to maintain independence at home.
  • Home care services provide domestic assistance including cleaning, shopping and personal care such as bathing and dressing. These volunteers help elderly people manage daily activities safely.
Show Worked Solution
  • Community health centres provide nursing services, physiotherapy and health monitoring for elderly people remaining in their homes. These centres offer coordinated care and liaison with other health professionals.
  • Meals on Wheels delivers nutritious meals directly to elderly residents who cannot prepare food independently. This service ensures proper nutrition while enabling seniors to maintain independence at home.
  • Home care services provide domestic assistance including cleaning, shopping and personal care such as bathing and dressing. These volunteers help elderly people manage daily activities safely.

HMS, HAG 2013 HSC 9 MC

To which of the following does the concept of ‘healthy ageing’ refer?

  1. Treating elderly people for commonly reported conditions
  2. The behaviours and activities that contribute to quality of life for elderly people
  3. Providing appropriate facilities and services to accommodate aged and elderly people
  4. Reducing the effects of poor health choices made in early adulthood that create risks to health status in later life
Show Answers Only

\(B\)

Show Worked Solution
  • B is correct: Healthy ageing focuses on maintaining quality of life activities.

Other Options:

  • A is incorrect: Treatment focuses on illness, not healthy ageing concept.
  • C is incorrect: Facilities are support systems, not healthy ageing definition.
  • D is incorrect: Past choices are risk factors, not healthy ageing focus.

♦♦♦♦ Mean mark 36%.

HMS, HAG 2016 HSC 17 MC

Which of the following best describes healthy ageing?

  1. Ageing at a healthy rate and trying to look younger
  2. Increasing the proportion of people who consume healthy foods throughout their life
  3. Reducing the risk of illness and disease when growing older by maintaining physical, dietary and mental health
  4. Reducing the number of people who die at a young age from illnesses related to hereditary and genetic factors
Show Answers Only

\(C\)

Show Worked Solution
  • C is correct: Healthy ageing involves maintaining wellness across all health dimensions.

Other Options:

  • A is incorrect: Focus on appearance rather than genuine health maintenance.
  • B is incorrect: Too narrow, only addresses nutrition not comprehensive health.
  • D is incorrect: Describes preventing premature death, not healthy ageing process.

HMS, HAG 2017 HSC 23

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

Show Answers Only

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%.

HMS, HAG 2023 HSC 22

How does a healthy, ageing population affect Australia's health care system?   (4 marks)

Show Answers Only

Sample answer

  • A healthy, ageing population reduces institutional care demands as older adults maintain independence longer. This decreases admissions to nursing homes and residential facilities, lowering government expenditure on expensive institutional services.
  • Consequently, hospital utilisation declines through fewer emergency presentations and shorter acute care stays. This creates capacity within existing hospital infrastructure for other patient populations.
  • However, healthcare demand shifts toward community-based services including home modifications, meal preparation and domestic assistance. The health system must reallocate resources from institutional settings to community support programs rather than reducing overall spending.

Show Worked Solution

Sample answer

  • A healthy, ageing population reduces institutional care demands as older adults maintain independence longer. This decreases admissions to nursing homes and residential facilities, lowering government expenditure on expensive institutional services.
  • Consequently, hospital utilisation declines through fewer emergency presentations and shorter acute care stays. This creates capacity within existing hospital infrastructure for other patient populations.
  • However, healthcare demand shifts toward community-based services including home modifications, meal preparation and domestic assistance. The health system must reallocate resources from institutional settings to community support programs rather than reducing overall spending.