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Some of the many challenges facing the disability sector are of a workforce nature. Mandatory minimum qualifications for support workers have been debated in the sector for quite some time now along with other issues such as the casualization of the workforce, the effect of the NDIS disability support worker cost model and lack of skilled workers who are working with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

Alcorso & Stamet (2024), suggest that to address several continuing workforce issues the sector could benefit from a workforce plan developed by a multi-stakeholder task force including but not exclusive to people with disability, workers, professional bodies, government rather than further government led workforce plans.

Alcorso, C., & Stamet, Y. (2024) The Disability Royal Commission on National Disability  Insurance Scheme (NDIS) workforce issues: avoiding the root causes? Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 11(2), 193–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/23297018.2024.2395967

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23297018.2024.2395967

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The Intergenerational Report 2023 highlights the forces impacting the Australian economy into the future. This includes a slow down of economic growth, ageing population, profound social shifts and a transformation from primary production and manufacturing towards services.

The evolution of technologies is transforming digital landscapes, Australian's are more interested in climate change and net zero than ever before and the rising demand for the infrastructure to care and support the community is unprecedented.

Having worked in education for the last 20 years, I have felt first hand the significant shift and need for better, more targeted support services for vulnerable members of our community.

Children's development is presenting as increasingly delayed in early childhood, requiring intense support services that were already stretched to their limits. Waiting lists for these support services through NDIS providers prior to formal school entry can be over 12 months.

I can see that in the future, it will be incredibly challenging for the Australian Government to establish infrastructure to meet the needs of the population through support services like NDIS. Navigating the funding models, timeframes and restrictions when there are so many people that need support will be complex.

I'm hopeful that the significant needs of the ageing population, along with the research to be done on the long standing impact of COVID on early childhood development of children and young people, will inform policy and funding models. The opportunity to develop a 'second career' in an area where it is most needed, where research focuses will be allocated due to the funding expenditure placed there, is exciting.

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As a current healthcare worker in the Health sector for a number of years, it has highlighted the challenges the system is facing, in particular Aged Care due to an aging population. The 2023 Intergenerational Report discusses the need for additional support in this area as well as NDIS and the health sector. The increase not only requires more support and funding but also presents an opportunity for increased jobs along with subsidized education for roles in the health care sector to support this.

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In the 2023 Intergenerational Report (p. 9) The Powerful forces of the ageing population, expanded use of digital and data technology, climate change and the net zero transformation, rising demand for care and support services while continue to shape Australia's economy. These factors will have a large impact on the way Australians live and work, which will ultimately change to structure of our economy.

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One of the most significant emerging trends impacting the Australian health system is the ageing population. According to the Intergenerational Report 2023, the number of Australians aged 65 and over is projected to more than double by 2063, representing nearly one-quarter of the population. This demographic shift will place considerable pressure on healthcare services, particularly in areas such as aged care, chronic disease management, and hospital admissions. As the demand for health services increases, so too will the need for a larger, well-trained health workforce and improved care coordination. The report highlights that government spending on health is expected to rise from 4.2% to 6.2% of GDP over the next 40 years, driven largely by the needs of an older population. This trend underscores the importance of strengthening preventative care, investing in health infrastructure, and supporting the administrative systems that enable efficient, patient-centred care delivery across the sector.

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As someone who has a family background in the medical field, I have noticed key trends of decline in the health care systems. A major trend is the decreases in funding but another trend to note is the staff shortages we have been facing. This is likely due to, as stated in the Intergenerational Report 2023, our ageing population and lower retention rates for education since 2017.

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It is clear as someone who works in health care, that there is significant strain on the system, particularly in rural communities where hospitals are experiencing less funding and staff shortages. A challenge highlighted in the Intergeneration Report 2024 is our aging population. The Intergenerational Report states that "Demand for access to the highest standards of care and rapid technological innovation will also place pressure on the Government to increase expenditure." (Intergenerational Report 2023, page 149).

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The Intergenerational Report 2023 states that the rising of care and support services are driven by several popular trends, one of which is for tailored support services for people with disabilities in the next 40 years. More people with disabilities access the support services with better awareness demanding on more workers in health care and disability support. The opportunity facing is double jobs with high expected and delivering these services efficiently. The health system will consider how successfully meet these challenges and priorities for people with disability in the long term. One of them is focus on comprehensive trainings, skill developments and better wages which empower workers to delivery high quality and promoting sustainable workforce reflecting the care work. (The Treasury, 2023, p.9 - 17).

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Mental health and social well-being are increasingly recognized as critical components of overall health, especially within the healthcare and community support sectors. In the future, mental health will remain a pressing issue due to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders, particularly among young people and marginalized communities (WHO, 2022). For those in the health and medical science field, including aspiring midwives or support workers, this trend presents both challenges and opportunities. One major challenge is the ongoing stigma around mental health, which can hinder individuals from seeking help and place greater strain on frontline workers. Additionally, limited access to culturally appropriate and affordable mental health services, especially in rural or underserved areas, will require innovative and inclusive care approaches (AIHW, 2023). On the other hand, growing public awareness and government investment in mental health offer new opportunities to advocate for holistic and preventative care, integrate mental health support into general practice, and develop specialized roles within the health system. This shift not only strengthens the support available to patients but also empowers future healthcare professionals to make a meaningful difference in their communities.

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The Intergenerational Report 2023 acknowledges a key area for a rising demand for health care and support services, as a crucial part in the future growth in Australia over the next 40 years. Indicating the demand for higher quality of care in these services is rising as Australia's population ages, as stated in (Intergenerational Report 2023 p. ix). I am currently employed in the disability sector and i have experienced the impact of an ongoing shortage of employees, including the lack of training and qualifications of employees being recruited. This has direct negative impacts on the quality of care and supports the person receives.

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The 2023 Intergenerational Report (page 6) states that Australia's population is ageing. The number of people aged 65 and older will more than double, and the number of people aged 85 and older will more than triple. As a sonographer, this will impact the amount of patients and therefore work that I will be expected to take on. With the sonography industry already struggling to maintain staff levels ,this will impact the mental health of the employees and the health of the patients, if they are unable to receive the healthcare they need.

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As a naturopath, a challenge that impacts Naturopathic medicine is not being included under medicare or NDIS. It remain a financially unsustainable, privately funded industry; excluding patients from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The Government says it is committed to a sustainable and productive care and support economy that delivers quality care and has reforms to strengthen Medicare, and also delivering the National Care and Support Economy Strategy and established the NDIS Review. (The Treasury, 2023, P. xvii). An opportunity is for the government to include naturopathic medicine as a core care model, as it focuses on preventative medicine, as well as helping patients with symptomatic relief of health conditions. The financial burden of chronic health could be greatly eased by including Naturopathic medicine as part of this model of care.

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As a healthcare worker who live in regional area, I think the biggest impacts on healthcare will come from aging population and regional inequalities. As more people live longer, demand for aged care and chronic disease management will increase. Rural communities already face health gaps for decades, and without better infrastructure and services, these gaps could widen. Digital health could help, but only if regional areas can access it. Aging, inequality, and technology are all linked and will need to be tackled together (The Treasury, 2023, p. xi–xvi).

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The demand for support services and care is continuing to grow. The average lifespan of both men and women is expected to increase, creating further reliance on skilled healthcare workers. Women have also been having less children than previous years, and the birth rate is expected to stay low in further years, resulting in the median age to increase, meaning more individuals will rely on health care and support services. These factors indicate more health care workers, such as doctors, nurses etc. are essential for the future meaning more education is required to keep up with demand.

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Whilst economic growth is dependant on the continuous digital and technological transformations to increase productivity and wages, (The Intergeneration Report 2023) it can pose a large risk on the health care system without proper mitigation and management of the changes. Whilst introducing life saving drugs and machines, can be beneficial, this will need to be continuously monitored to avoid catastrophe and setback the Australian Health system as a whole. Whilst increasing productivity, is technology and digital advances worsening the current decline in population growth?

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The Intergenerational Report 2023 highlights the challenges that the health sector will undergo in the coming years, specifically, ageing population. There will be a growing demand for aged care services and more. The system will need to discover solutions to manage and adapt to the rise of Australians who are older and may need long term support and more. With this, its important for the system to encourage future students and support them within the health industry.

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One of the challenges highlighted in the Intergenerational Report for the care and support sector is that those aged over 85 are expected to triple in the next 40 years and that the need for care and support workers is anticipated to have doubled by 2050 (Australian Government, 2023). To support this growth the government is having to invest in community services education to improve and sustain quality care. Funding in this domain is imperative for improvements to education programs, quality community workers. In addition facilities will need to be built, expanded or upgraded in order to meet the needs of a growing aging population. Reference : Australian Government. (2023). Intergenerational Report 2023. Australian Government. https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-08/p2023-435150.pdf

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As outlined within the Intergenerational Report 2023, it is evident that Australia's overall population age is increasing whilst fertility rates are decreasing. This is due to many contributing factors, such as advancements within modern technology, and slower economic growth. It is predicted that over the next 40 years, the number of people aged 65 and older will more than double, and the number of people aged 85 and older will more than triple. As a result of the escalation of population age, there is a continuous rise in long-term spending pressures within the Healthcare sector. The Government intends on reducing the pressure by establishing reforms to strength Medicare, as well as investing to attract, train and retain Healthcare workers. (The Treasury, 2023, p. 7-17)

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Due to Australia's aging population and slower economic growth, the health sector is under increasing pressure. Funding is becoming more challenging as the demand for aged care and chronic disease care is rising. Demand for quality care and support services is rising, particularly as Australia’s population ages (The 2023 Intergenerational Report page xi). These challenges will need innovative solutions/planning to ensure the health care system can meet the needs of the future.

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One of the five major forces from the Intergenerational Report (IGR) is the rising demand for care and support services. Some of these challenges are Australians living longer and using more government-funded services for children, people with a disability, and older Australians.

The opportunities that could help these challenges now and in the future are the ongoing digital advancements that are expected to improve quality of life, such as new medications and surgical procedures. But also the improvement of the standard of care and support from skills and training. The Treasury (2023). Intergenerational Report 2023: Australia’s future to 2063 (pp. vii-ix). https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-08/p2023-435150.pdf

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Over the coming few decades, it is projected that Australian people will live longer than they have in previous generations. The result of this will be an aging population (The Treasury, 2023, p. 13).

This will directly impact the entire healthcare sector by placing an increased strain on almost all services and resources. This needs to be addressed by the government to get ahead of what could potentially become a healthcare disaster of even greater proportions than we saw during the COVID-19 Pandemic. If the government is able to do this, it will provide an opportunity for many more jobs in the health sector for emerging and future graduates.

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As the world is becoming a slower growing population and Australians are now expected to live longer, this will gradually place more and more strain on the health care system, regardless of the health care sector (primary health care, etc.). As a result of this, more health care providers are needed which has shown the government the need for change considering the nurse staffing epidemic. (The Treasury, 2023, p. xi)

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The ongoing challenges faced by the Australian Government in regards to the ageing population will no doubt put increased pressure on future budgets. This in turn will have direct consequences on the health system in the coming decades. As stated in the 2023 Intergenerational Report (Population ageing p.10), people are living longer and will require a greater demand on government services.

The sooner the government addresses the potential shortfalls in future workforce numbers and service infrastructures, the better the outcome will be.

Encouraging students to pursue careers in the health and care sectors as well as investing in and supporting existing services is strongly needed.

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The aging global population will put a tremendous strain on healthcare systems. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s, are on the rise and require long-term management, which can be resource-intensive. The 2023 Intergrational Report Page 6(economy) that this profound shift is causing great uncertainty, I wonder if the government will be able to come up with a sustainable outcome that will be able to encourage students for years to come to enter this field of study.

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The 2023 Intergenerational Report (pages vii-xvii) discusses the various challenges that the health industry will encounter in the coming years.

With such a significant growth forecast in the ageing population, the demand for affordable and government funded health and support services is set to increase.

I wonder how the government will sustainably address these needs? One potential solution could be subsidizing the cost of training and education in key sectors, this would encourage people to further study in these fields.

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What a great contribution of comments so far for this discipline! Well done, everyone! The Intergenerational Report has certainly highlighted the rising demand for health care in different sectors and the subsequent issues.

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The rising demand for care and support services will contribute to a greater need for skilled workers. A shortage of skilled professionals will lead to a push for education also discussed within the Intergenerational Report (The Treasury, 2023 p. xvi). The government may need to consider subsidised education for in demand workers (nurses, doctors, early childhood etc.)