Community Health and Care News


Posted: Friday 5 March 2010


Government’s health reform package overlooks older people

The Australian Government’s health care reform package has overlooked hundreds of thousands of older or housebound patients relying on community-based care, according to the RDNS SA.


CEO Dale Cleaver said the National Health and Hospitals Network rightly identifies GPs and hospitals but has missed a crucial sector in planning for the ageing population, the link to in-home community care services.


“Many of the solutions for keeping people out of hospital are found in the delivery of community care, working with the hospitals and GPs,” Mr Cleaver said.


“The intention of the reforms is to meet the needs of the ageing population with increasing rates of chronic disease. Older patients and people with chronic disease need a co-ordinated health care service.


“While we welcome the Government’s commitment to train more doctors and nurses, the army of carers needed for our ageing population must also include allied health professionals and care workers going into people’s homes.”


“Increasing the availability of hospital beds is only half of the strategy.
The other half of a comprehensive strategy is to keep people out of hospital in the first place.”


Mr Cleaver said the Government needs to fund more programs such as the Integrated Community Care for Older People (ICCOP), where hospitals and GPs work in partnership with a community health care provider, referring patients so they receive a care plan by a senior nurse and access to health care in their own home.


The RDNS will now contact the Australian Government to highlight these issues and seek to have the reforms extended to include community care.


“The health and wellbeing of older people enrolled in the ICCOP program has significantly improved, with a 37% reduction in total hospital bed day utilisation and a 51% reduction in unplanned emergency department visits and presentations,”
Mr Cleaver said.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Anna Jackson, Ball Public Relations 0412 005 864