Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) residents in the surrounding areas of Taree can now access more tailored, timely healthcare in the comfort of their place of residence, thanks to a new Residential Aged Care (RAC) In-reach team which is now seeing patients.
The geriatric urgent care service will help ease pressure on local emergency departments by responding urgently to the medical and physical health needs of older people in RACFs for non-life-threatening conditions.
Care will be provided within the RACFs by a multidisciplinary team of nurse practitioners, registered nurses, geriatricians, career medical officers and physiotherapists.
Patients are referred to the geriatric urgent care service through an established Aged Care Emergency (ACE) line. RACF calls will be answered by the RAC-In reach team intake registered nurse who will utilise decision support tools to determine the appropriate level of care for the patient. This may include telephone and videocall assessment or an on-site visit from the team.
The service is open from 8am to 4pm, seven days a week, and care provided by the In-Reach team is at no cost to the patient.
The In-reach team will cover the areas for John Hunter, Belmont, Cavalry Mater, Tomaree and Manning hospitals is being rolled out in a staged approach and is expected to be operating in all 65 RACFs in the region by 12 November 2024.
The Newcastle Residential Aged Care-In-reach forms part of the NSW Government's $124 million commitment over two years to deliver 25 Urgent Care Services in NSW by mid-2025.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:
"This Urgent Care Service will enable residents to receive high quality, expert care without leaving their familiar environment, providing a better patient experience and easing pressure on the region's busy hospitals.
"I am so pleased to see innovative models of care like this one being introduced to support patients to receive care in the most appropriate setting."
Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Myall Lakes, Emily Suvaal, MLC:
"As the number of older residents in our community grows, it's essential we have the right services in place to meet their needs.
"This Rapid Access Clinic is delivering more timely, comfortable and personalised care to improve the experience of elderly patients and help them avoid unnecessary trips to the ED."
Quotes attributable to Executive Director Operations, Hunter New England Local Health District Susan Heyman:
"We thank the NSW Government for their support in delivering this new service that will be rolled out for our aged care communities.
"Our talented and experienced clinicians will help provide immediate assistance to determine the right level of care required."
