Older patients in Adelaide's northern suburbs will be able to leave hospital sooner when they are medically ready, freeing up beds for others, under a new partnership with a leading South Australian aged care provider.
The Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) has partnered with ACH Group to open 24 new "step-down" beds in an Elizabeth residential care home to transition older patients out of the Lyell McEwin Hospital and Modbury Hospital who no longer need to be there.
Programs like this are part of the State Government's commitment to improve patient flow at hospitals, transfer patients who don't need to be there and improve ramping and response times.
One of the houses will support older people who are part of the first-of-its-kind Northern Reablement and Intermediate Care to Return Home (NRICH) program.
This new initiative assists older people who are medically fit to return home, but their hospital discharge is delayed due to their house needing adaptations or their carer being temporarily unavailable.
The other house will provide short-term care for older people as they wait for a permanent bed at a residential aged care facility, as part of the Care Awaiting Placement program.
This is based at the new ACH Healthia home with a village-like setting and a home-like environment with light-filled open-plan kitchen, dining, and living spaces.
This extra capacity comes as progress has been made this winter with ambulances spending 1,084 fewer hours on the ramp this winter, compared with last winter, a reduction of 9.6 per cent.
Ambulances were ramped for 10,180 hours across June-August 2023, compared to 11,264 hours during June-August 2022.
The number of ambulances that were transferred within 30 minutes also improved from only 36.5 per cent last winter to 49.5 per cent this winter.
Ambulance response times have also significantly improved this winter.
During winter this year, paramedics reached 67.3 per cent of Priority 1 cases within the recommended eight minutes (exceeding the 60 per cent target), compared to just 52.2 per cent last winter.
For Priority 2 cases, ambos reached 57.7 per cent of cases within the recommended 16 minutes this winter, compared to only 36.7 per cent last winter.
These improvements come despite this winter being busier than last year.
This winter there were 6.2 per cent more ambulance arrivals at hospitals and 9.3 per cent more of the most serious (Category 1 and 2) emergency department arrivals.
Ambulances spent 3,721 hours on the ramp last month – down 42 hours compared to August 2022. Ambulance response times improved to 67.3 per cent for Category 1, and 59.6 per cent for Category 2.
Detailed ramping and response time data, including a hospital-by-hospital breakdown, is published on the SA Health website.
As put by Chris Picton
Having these 24 new 'step-down' beds will help older people leave hospital sooner while receiving the support they need before they can go home.
Not only does it provide older people with the care they need in an appropriate setting, but it also frees up hospital beds to reduce pressure on the health system.
The Malinauskas Labor Government is pulling every lever we can to fix the mess we inherited from the previous Liberal Government, which is why we are investing more than $4 billion extra into the health system.
The improved ramping data and ambulance response times from this winter compared to last winter shows the massive investment we've made is making a difference. However, we know there's still lots of work to be done and we're getting on with the job.
As put by Zoe Bettison
As the local member for Ramsay, I am pleased that older people in the northern suburbs of Adelaide have access to programs that help in their transition from leaving hospital to going home.
It is important to always look after our older people and most vulnerable members of our community that are now at a stage of their lives that requires attention and care.
This high level after care program is yet another way we can give back to the elderly and it shows our appreciation for their invaluable contribution to South Australia.
I want to thank the ACH Group for investing in this facility and giving older people the opportunity to feel comfortable in their surroundings.
As put by NALHN Divisional Director Aged Care, Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, Dr Alice Bourke
We are proud to be the first in the state to introduce NRICH, offering a unique model of care that will improve the experience and the lives of older people in our care.
Being able to operate the service from Healthia adds to the overall patient experience as they will be supported in an environment that allows them to regain their independence with dignity, and with the encouragement of staff who are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
We hope this program will also have a positive impact on bed availability and flow across our hospitals, and ensuring people are in the right place for their needs.
As put by ACH Group CEO, Frank Weits
We know the goal for the majority of older South Australians is to remain living independently in their own home.
With care from ACH Group's specialist aged care staff and the NALHN team, NRICH will support patients to regain their health, and return and live well in their own homes.
The unique home environment and person-directed care philosophy at Healthia creates a de-institutionalised and familiar setting for patients and residents which further supports their health and wellbeing.
ACH Group is proud to play a key role in the NRICH program, an innovative and integrated model of care that will support both the health and wellbeing of older South Australians and the hospital system.
