A regional collaboration led by Community Industry Group (CI Group) to research and implement a volunteer coordinator program to assist older hospital patients transition to residential aged care when they are ready to be discharged will be trailed in the NSW Illawarra region.
CI Group, a Not For Profit supporter of community organisations, has received a $300,000 grant from the NSW Government to run the project.
A shortage of available aged care beds has been a persistent challenge in recent years, particularly in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, where, despite a range of strategies being trailed, around 90 patients on average await a residential aged care placement every day.
“We remain committed to implementing initiatives aimed at reducing any unnecessary lengths of stay in hospital being experienced by older people waiting for RACF placement in the Illawarra region," NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said.
“This funding will enable us to work with local stakeholders including aged care providers, the Local Health District, the Primary Health Network, local Councils, Dementia Services Australia as well as the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care to deliver three important initiatives aimed supporting the discharge of older people into an aged care service," said CI Group CEO Nicky Sloan.
The funding is for:
- Research by aged care academic Professor Kathy Eagar and former ACSA CEO Paul Sadler into what is causing the delayed discharge of older people into residential aged care, and a review of how well aged care homes are able to meet the needs of these older patients.
- Create a team of discharge support volunteers, to be known as the Supported Transition Assistance Response Scheme (STARS), to help with the transfer for each person from hospital to an aged care home or their own home.
- Establish a multi-agency regional health and aged care taskforce to oversee the projects, and develop a regional health and aged care plan to address the ageing demographic needs.
