National Seniors Australia
THE Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games could leave a lasting legacy for older Queenslanders, with a proposal to transform part of the post-Games infrastructure into a Healthy Ageing Precinct.
National Seniors Australia (NSA) is calling on the Queensland Government to investigate whether infrastructure planned for the future Brisbane Athletes Village at Bowen Hills could help older people transition more effectively between hospital, rehabilitation, aged care and community support.
The proposal comes amid growing pressure on Queensland’s health system, with more than 1000 older patients experiencing delayed discharge from hospital, rising to more than 1500 when people in interim care beds are included.
NSA senior policy adviser Jacintha Victor John said the infrastructure being developed for the 2032 Games would serve Queenslanders for decades, making now the time to consider the needs of an ageing population.
The proposed precinct would not be a single large aged care facility, but a connected network of services designed to help older people move from acute hospital treatment to rehabilitation, transition care and, where possible, a supported return home.
It could also include services tailored to people living with dementia, complex clinical needs and those requiring palliative and end-of-life care.
NSA’s proposal is informed by research into delayed hospital discharge, which found older people can remain in hospital after they are medically ready to leave because suitable care and support is unavailable.
Queensland Government figures identify a lack of available residential aged care places as the leading discharge barrier for older patients in acute hospital beds, affecting 73 per cent of cases.
Queensland Health projects the State’s population aged 70 and over will increase from about 630,000 in 2022-23 to more than 911,000 by 2032-33.
The number aged 85 and over is expected to rise from almost 100,000 to more than 183,000 over the same period.
