ABSTRACT
Long-term care (LTC) touches the daily lives of millions of Australians: older people, informal carers and paid care workers. Historically, the primary providers of LTC, referred to as 'aged care' in Australia, were informal carers, mostly families and not-for profit care providers, with governments making a relatively small contribution. The chapter provides an overview of LTC in Australia and the reforms from the mid-1980s. It discusses the current opportunities and challenges in accessing and providing LTC for older people and informal carers, for care workers and for care provider organizations. There is some optimism from older people, informal carers, service providers, service managers and care workers that the current reforms will deliver, as promised, quality care for older people, and that Australia will create an inclusive, sustainable LTC system supporting all Australians. The principles in these reforms have come about through successful lobbying and some enlightened political leadership.
