Australia’s emergency departments are struggling to meet the growing healthcare needs of older people, with a new report calling for urgent reforms to the health system.
The report, released on Tuesday by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), said nearly nine million people sought treatment at emergency departments nationwide in 2023–24, with older people aged 65 and above accounting for one-quarter of visits.
More than half of patients in this age group arrived by ambulance, while nearly 70 per cent required urgent care. Half were admitted to hospital beds, compared with less than a quarter of younger patients.
According to the report, 53,510 older patients spent more than 24 hours in emergency departments awaiting hospital beds in 2023–24, representing a 254 per cent increase from 15,084 recorded in 2018–19.
It added that only 54 per cent of older patients requiring admission left emergency departments within the eight-hour target.
An intergenerational report released by the federal Treasury in September projected that the proportion of Australians aged 65 and above would rise from 17.8 per cent to 24.8 per cent by 2066.
The ACEM report also projected that emergency department visits by people aged 85 and above would increase by 411 per cent by 2050.
“Our health system and its workforce are just not equipped for this demographic change,” ACEM President Peter Allely said.
“Unless these serious issues are addressed as a matter of urgency, emergency care will come too late for many Australians.”
The report recommended stronger integration between hospitals and aged care services, increased funding and a rapid expansion of residential aged care facilities. It called on federal, state and territory governments to implement the measures to improve care for older Australians.
