NSW to fund a new aged care transition project

The NSW government will provide $300,000 to a peak community group to research and implement ways older people can seamlessly transition from hospitals into residential aged care.

Led by the Community Industry Group (CI Group), the regional project will support the implementation of a volunteer coordinator program that will assist with transitioning older people into residential aged care facilities (RACF).

The need for the project was identified recently when there was a lack of local RACF beds, particularly in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.

Despite the implementation of a range of strategies in the area, around 90 patients await residential care placement.

Health Minister Ryan Park welcomed the project and the research.

"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," Mr Park said.

"Collaborative projects like these are important in addressing delays in discharging older people from hospital which can slow patient admission times."

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 10 per cent of Australians use transition or short-term restorative care, with people in NSW accessing these services the most.

The project will be phased in in three stages: a research project into why there is a delay in transitions; creating a transition volunteers team; and putting together a task force.

CI Group chief Nicky Sloan said the organisation is "uniquely placed" to deliver regional collaborative projects to address this issue.

"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 to support the discharge of older people into an aged care service,” Ms Sloan said.

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