ILL-PREPARED grey nomads heading for Australia's remote regions are causing some
outback medical centres to buckle under the pressure.
Some have pleaded with the ageing travellers to pre-plan their adventures
and make make sure they have provided for their health needs.
A team of researchers put the problem under the microscope and has now
published a report on the dilemma.
One of them, Dr Catherine Hungerford from Charles Sturt University in New
South Wales, believes more trained nurse practitioners could help remote
medical centres cope.
Holders of a masters degree, these nurses are able to refer patients to
other health care professionals, prescribe medications and order
diagnostic investigations.
"They actually do very similar things to the general practitioner, but the
beauty of it for the government is they're not quite as expensive," Dr
Hungerford, head of the university's School of Nursing, Midwifery and
Indigenous Health, said.
She said some grey nomads heading into the bush had the wrong idea there
would be health services everywhere where they could obtain medicines and
treatment.
The academics' research report said there was evidence to suggest older
people were taking in excess of 200,000 caravanning trips for six weeks or
more each year, with about 70,000 to 80,000 caravans or motorhomes touring
the country at any one time.
"In addition to the possible advantages achieved from the purchase of a
caravan or motorhome and subsequent travel around Australia, benefits for
older people include the purpose or meaning in life created from
travelling post-retirement," it said.
While many grey nomads fitted the popular or stereotypical image of
"cashed-up" retirees who travel around Australia while they are still
healthy enough to enjoy the lifestyle, not all of them contributed to
the wealth of the communities they visited.
"For example, some commentators argue that the economic benefits reaped
from older tourists visiting small towns and communities may not cover the
cost of the services they consume."
'High rates of chronic disease
and medication use'
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The researchers said many grey nomads had an expectation that the services
they needed would be available as required, regardless of location or
capacity of the local communities to provide health services.
"This generates a number of challenges for health service providers with
the brief to meet the health needs and preferences of all consumers who
present to them for help," they said.
"Generally speaking, the health profile of grey nomads is similar to that
of the wider population of Australians aged 65 years or older.
"This includes high rates of chronic disease and medication use."
A National Health survey had indicated that almost all Australians aged 65
years and over reported at least one long-term health condition.
More than 80 percent of people in this age group reported three or more
long-term conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and cardiac
problems.
"While such conditions do not necessarily preclude travel, questions about
their management and the appropriateness of services delivered by health
professionals in remote destinations should be raised by the older person
who is travelling for long periods," the researchers said.
The issues had been highlighted by findings of a case study of the
Kimberley region.
"Each year, approximately 265,000 tourists visit this region, thereby
increasing the population more than sixfold, with those aged 65 years or
more representing approximately 13 percent of all visitors.
"Some 260 travellers, aged 50 years or more and staying in motorhomes or
tents at Fitzroy Crossing, were surveyed, with 68 percent identified with
chronic diseases, hypertension the most prevalent.
"The majority (61.9 percent) were taking regular medications, of which
only half were carrying enough to last them the duration of the trip.
"As few as nine percent had a health summary from their usual general
practitioner, and 39.2 percent were not adequately vaccinated according to
recommendations made by the Australian National Health and Medical
Research Council."
The researchers conducted telephone interviews with 40 doctors in the
Kimberley region who provided primary health care to residents and
travellers, and 24 nurses who delivered services from remote clinics with
no resident medical practitioner.
Nine out of ten indicated it would be helpful if grey nomads carried a
health summary that included an active problem list and history of health
conditions, current medications and allergies.