A Direction Towards Sustainability? Australian Rural Communities and Care for the Aged

Abstract

The ageing population in rural and remote regions of Australia face considerable social disadvantage, requiring health and welfare services. This need is compounded as agencies cut back on their assistance. As in other nations, rural populations in Australia have proportionately more older citizens and fewer economic resources. Demographic trends show that the issue of ageing in rural and remote areas will become of increasing importance to policy planners. Successful approaches may be observed in retirement communities in the United States, and experiences with rural medical recruitment and Community Aged Care Packages in Australia. Often, strategies designed to assist the rural disadvantaged compete with other strategies designed to achieve cost-effectiveness. A conceptualisation of rural community sustainability which encompasses all social needs beyond agricultural sustainability could provide a foundation for future social policy to meet the needs of the rural ageing.