| Department of Health and Ageing | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1921 |
| Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Ministers responsible | Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing Warren Snowdon, Minister for Indigenous Health Mark Butler, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing |
| Agency executive | Jane Halton, Secretary of the Department |
| Parent agency | Australian Government |
| Website | |
| Department of Health and Ageing Website | |
The Department of Health and Ageing is an Australian Government department. Its role is to oversee the running of Australia including supporting universal and affordable access to medical, pharmaceutical and hospital services, while helping people to stay healthy through health promotion and disease prevention activities. The department's plan for the future include:
Contents |
Parliamentary Officeholders
The Department of Health was established in 1921 and has since undergone numerous changes to its name, structure and function.
The first change happened in 1987 when the Department of Health was merged with the Department of Community Services in order to form the Department of Community Services and Health.
In June 1991, The Department of Health, Housing and Community Services was formed. This reflected the transfer of housing industry programs from the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce to the Department of Community Services and Health.
In March 1993 the Department of Local Government joined with the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services to form the Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services. Subsequently in 1994 the Department changed its name to the Department of Human Services and Health. Also in 1994, the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was established.
When a new government was elected in March 1996, the Department's name changed to the Department of Health and Family Services. The department gained responsibility for the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program from the former Department of Housing and Regional Development.
Later the department assumed responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health matters from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
After the October 1998 election, the Department's name changed to the Department of Health and Aged Care to reflect its new responsibilities and functions. Responsibility for Family and Children's Services, Disability Programs and the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service were transferred to the Department of Family and Community Services on 22 October 1998.
Following the November 2001 election, the Department of Health and Aged Care changed its name to the Department of Health and Ageing.
Department of Health and Ageing administers various health-related programs in partnership with Medicare Australia. As of 2005, these programs included:
Aged care in Australia can be broken into a hierarchy of care.
Facility based aged care
Community based aged care'
Information services
Assessments required to access services
There are two types of assessment: global or local.
Global assessment is done by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) which is embedeed within the local hospital and administered by the state health department. Contact your local hospital or Carelink for your local ACAT.
Local assessment is done at the service that is being accessed. For some services the format of assessment is legislated, for example the Client Information and Referral Record (CIARR).