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Characterising Informal Care in Older Individuals Receiving Long-Term Home Care Support

A National Epidemiological Study

Published Date: 2.1.2026

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Theme: Caring and society

Sub-theme: Carer statistics

Older people Carer inclusion Informal carers Quantitative data Cross-sectional study

Verification Statement

This publication / resource is hosted on a publicly available external link. If the full text is not publicly accessible, summary points are included and a contact method for the author(s) is provided, where available.

The summary information presented is based on content submitted by an author or other user
, along with publicly available information about the publication / resource added by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team.

All content is reviewed, edited and approved by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team, in line with our Submission Guidelines.


To report an issue or request a change, please complete our Feedback Form.

 

Theme: Caring and society

Sub-theme: Carer statistics

View Publication Older people Carer inclusion Informal carers Quantitative data Cross-sectional study

Verification Statement

This publication / resource is hosted on a publicly available external link. If the full text is not publicly accessible, summary points are included and a contact method for the author(s) is provided, where available.

The summary information presented is based on content submitted by an author or other user
, along with publicly available information about the publication / resource added by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team.

All content is reviewed, edited and approved by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team, in line with our Submission Guidelines.


To report an issue or request a change, please complete our Feedback Form.

 

Characterising Informal Care in Older Individuals Receiving Long-Term Home Care Support

A National Epidemiological Study

Published Date: 2.1.2026

  • Organisation Name

    Australasian Journal on Ageing

  • Author/ Authors

    Tesfahun C. Eshetie, Alana R. Cuthbert, Janet K. Sluggett, Solomon Yu, Carolyn Dawkins, Marjorie Schulze

  • Suggested citation (APA 7th edition)

    Eshetie, T. C., Cuthbert, A. R., Sluggett, J. K., Yu, S., Dawkins, C., Schulze, M., Caughey, G. E., & Inacio, M. C. (2026). Characterising informal care in Older Individuals Receiving Long‐Term Home Care Support: a National Epidemiological study. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 45(1), e70128. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajag.70128

Long Summary

This national epidemiological study investigates how many older Australians receiving long‑term home care have an informal carer, how this has changed over time, and how availability varies across different parts of the country. People with informal carers tend to be older, more likely to have dementia or mobility issues, and more often from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Notably, 14% of older people receiving home care were simultaneously providing informal care to someone else.

    Key Messages for Carers


  • Carers are essential for keeping older people safe at home.
  • Informal care availability has been steadily declining, from 86% to 78% between 2012 and 2019, meaning remaining carers may be carrying heavier loads and may need to seek supports such as respite, financial assistance or community services.

  • Key Messages for Policy Makers


  • This study shows that declining informal carer availability will increase demand on the formal aged care system.
  • Targeted interventions are needed in low-carer regions to support ageing in place.

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The Carer Knowledge Exchange is led by Carers NSW and proudly funded by the NSW Government. It was established as a partnership between Carers NSW and the Institute for Public Policy and Governance (IPPG) at the University of Technology Sydney from 2021-2024. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.