Older patients

The proportion of the Australian population aged 65 years or more increased from 12.5% in 2001 to 13.3% in 2009. This aging of the population will increasingly pose challenges to the public health system. In BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health), between April 2001 and March 2002, and April 2008 and March 2009, the proportion of encounters accounted for by patients aged 65 years and over increased significantly from 25.1% to 29.6%.