Aged Care

The Aged Care program aims to ensure better access to primary medical care for residents of aged care facilities and to enable GPs to work with Aged Care Facilities on quality improvement strategies for the care of all residents.

Aged Care Access Initiative

The Aged Care Access Initiative is an Australian Government program that aims to improve access to primary care (GP and allied health services) for residents of aged care facilities. It has two components:

1. An incentive payment through the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) to encourage GPs to provide more services in RACFs.

2. A payment for clinical care provided by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in RACFs, where these services are not currently covered by Medicare or other government funding arrangements.

For further information please contact the Division .

Australian Government ACAI Program Guidelines

Aged Care General Resources

• Community Packages - information about available packages and services, criteria and contact details ^{Aug 2011}

• Aged Care Facilities Directory

• GP and Allied Health Orientation Kit  - designed to improve communication and information flow processes for new and existing GPs and Allied Health Professionals (AHP) who visit Aged Care Facilities (ACFs).  Instructions for use

• Australian Government Directory of services for older people 2011  - a comprehensive guide to the wide range of services provided for older Australians by the Australian Government

Clinical Guidelines

• Medical Care of Older Persons in Residential Aged Care Facilities "Silver Book". at the RACGP website.

• Guidelines to assist residential aged care nursing staff:

  • Emergency Decision Guidelines- A guide for the acutely unwell, deteriorating resident ^{Nov 2011} 

     

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Communication Resources

• Aged Care Facility/GP fax to enhance communication

Falls Prevention and Management

• Preventing Falls and Harm From Falls in Older People  Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Hospitals, Residential Aged Care Facilities and Community Care 2009

• During 2005, the Division was involved in the Falls Prevention program "Stand Up Right - Stay Upright" an Aust. Government Initiative. The program produced a number of useful resources for general practice waiting rooms.

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Information and Support Services

• TasCarepoint - centralized contact, filtering screening, referral point for clients requiring HACC and HACC like services from non-government organisations and/or Department of Health and Human Services within Southern Tasmania. Monday-Friday 8:00am - 6:00pm Telephone Referrals: 1300 769 699. Referral Templates:  MD   BP  

• Age Well Kingborough

• Arthritis Foundation of Tasmania - services and support

• Beyond Blue: Depression & Anxiety in Older People - Fact Sheets & Resources

• Cancer Council Tasmania - Support Services

• Carelink

• Continence Foundation of Australia Resources order form

• Dementia support and information for patients and their families, Alzheimers Tasmania, Ph 1800 100 500

• Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services - Referral templates, MD   BP

  • 24 hour Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Line Ph 1800 699 799

• Department of Veterans Affairs

• Hearing Link Tasmania - services and support

• Independent Living Centre Tasmania - Services

• Tasmanian Aged Care & Rehabilitation Clinical Network

• Telstra Disability Equipment Program  - Application Form

MBS (Aged Care) Items

• Steps to Residential Care using the MBS  

• Comprehensive Health Assessment  Template  (MD Users)

• Health Assessment for Permanent Residents of Aged Care Facilities - Template   (MD users)

• Comprehensive Medical Assessment  MD Template at the North East valley Division

Medication Management

• Guidelines for Medication Management in RACFs - Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council (APAC) Nov 2002 3rd edition. Copy also available at the Division.

Nurse Practitioner (NP)/Specialist Nurse Services     ^{Dec 2011}

NP Aged Care – Jane Davis	Scope of Service Referral: fax using the existing RHH Template to 6222 8476 Phone 6222 8318 or Mobile 0417 151 575
NP Aged Care – Hazel Ryan	Phone: 0400 545 666 Nurse – Led Memory Clinic (Southern Tasmania) Patient Brochure Health Professionals:   Information   Service Flow Chart Referral Form  MD Template    BP Template    (PDF Version) A letter referral via Older Persons Mental Health Trio data base is also accepted
Neurological Support Service:	Referrals may be made in writing Fax. 6222 6894 or by Ph: (03) 6222 7893
Clinical Nurse Specialist	Ange Patras  Mobile : 0488212366

Pain Management

• Pain in Residential Aged Care Facilities - Management Strategies,  Australian Pain Society, 2005 

• The PMG Kit for Aged Care - implementation guidelines

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Palliative Care

• Palliative Care - DHHS website resource for

  • Patients, carers and families

  • Health Professionals

    • Tasmanian Adult Palliative Care Formulary - information for healthcare professionals involved in prescribing and caring for adult patients receiving palliative care. Includes sections on matching symptoms to medication, medication monographs, use of syringe drivers, prescribing outside of license and drug interactions. 

• Palliative Care Victoria Podcasts - Brief interviews with palliative care professionals covering a broad range of topics including; 'Breaking Bad News', 'Family Meetings', 'Diagnosing Dying', 'Management of Nausea in End Stage Disease', and many more. These podcasts, of between 6 to 15 minutes duration, can be accessed online or easily downloaded.

• Guidelines for a Palliative Approach for Aged Care in the Community Setting - Best practice guidelines for the Australian context, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2011 (available for download from DoHA website) ^{Feb 2011}

• Guidelines for a Palliative Approach in Residential Aged Care  - May 2006. Copy also available at the Division.

• Training Modules for a Palliative Approach in Residential Aged Care  - The National Palliative Care Program, 2004

Further resources can be found on our Palliative Care Project page

Recent Event Presentations

Aged Care Update 3/11/2011 ^{Dec 2011}

Dementia Diagnosis and Support - A Psychiatric Perspective - Dr Martin Morrissey

What is Dementia? (Sept 2011) The Stages of Dementia (Oct 2011) The Diagnosis of Dementia (presentation handout) - Dr Jane Tolman

Nurse-led Memory Clinic 2011 - Hazel Ryan

Gaps in service for the elderly? How the aged care nurse practitioner can assist - Jane Davis

Goals of Care, Limitation of Treatment and Advance Care Directives  - Jenny Fuller

• RHH Goals of Care Plan

• RHH Inpatient Integrated Terminal Care Pathway

• Advance Care Directive form

• Advance Care Directive information brochure

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Research and Further References

• Recommendations on Physical Activity for health for older Australians

• The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency is the independent body responsible for managing the accreditation and ongoing supervision of Commonwealth-funded aged care homes.

• AIHW report on Caring for Oral Health in Australian Residential Care  2009

• Senate Aged Care Report  April 2009

• ABC TV program Four Corners “End of the Line” on Residential Aged Care (broadcast 1st June 2009)  

• ABC TV program Four Corners “End of the Line” on Residential Aged Care (broadcast 1st June 2009) Part 2

• Comprehensive Support and Resources  page put together by Four Corners investigative journalists 

• Ageing section at the Department of Health & Ageing (DOHA) website

• Aged Care Funding Instrument

• 2008 Report on residential care and people with psychogeriatric disorders  

Event Presentations	06/05/08	Macular Degeneration Update   Dr Nitin Verma
		Seeing the Future  Dr Nitin Verma

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