The Minns Labor Government will provide an additional $300,000 to a peak community group to continue its valuable work in helping older people in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region to transition more quickly from hospital to aged care, when they are medically ready to be discharged.
The collaborative regional project, led by the Community Industry Group (CI Group), has spent the past 12 months working to implement sustainable strategies that enable improved transitioning of older people into residential aged care facilities (RACFs) following an initial $300,000 grant in May 2024.
In its first 12 months, the CI Group has undertaken research into the drivers of discharge delays for older people into residential aged care facilities.
CI Group has also supported the creation of a team of discharge volunteers which assist with the process of transfer from hospital and established a multi-agency regional health and aged care taskforce to oversee these projects and develop a regional health and aged care plan.
The additional funding will enable the group to build on its existing work, while also focussing on engaging other external stakeholders and exploring options to expedite aged care transition process.
CI Group will provide assistance and expert advice, together with Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, to work with RACF providers to implement immediate occupancy expansion initiatives, and to identify and target other aged care options.
Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
“The lack of available local residential aged care facility beds has been a major challenge across NSW in recent years, particularly in the Illawarra Shoalhaven.
“Getting people out of hospital quicker, and into the most appropriate care is critical for the patient, and the system as a whole, and that is why the work being undertaken by the Community Industry Group is hugely important.
“This additional funding will enable the expansion of existing initiatives including the Supported Transition Assistance Response Scheme within local hospitals and focus on the development of more initiatives that will help ease pressure on our busy hospitals.”
CI Group CEO, Nicky Sloan:
“This additional funding will enable us to build on our research and work over the past 12 months.
“We have collaborated with 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 that are now in place to support the discharge of older people into an aged care service.
“We are incredibly thankful for the ongoing support of our work so that we can continue to make a dent in the critical issue of our most vulnerable community members being unnecessarily stuck in hospital.”