Ageing well is fundamental to our approach to the care of older people in our society. The very first sentence in the overview of the Productivity Commission's 2010 report to the Australian Government titled 'Caring for Older Australians' recognises that "older Australians generally want to remain independent and in control of how and where they live; to stay connected to their families and communities; and be able to exercise some measure of choice over their care".
The Aged Care Planning and Service Development Project seeks to strengthen Aged Care in our community and enable older people the independence they desire. The project will work to achieve this through collaboration and cooperation between aged care providers in the Hume region.
The purpose of developing the Hume Integrated Aged Care Plan is to achieve the following:
Facilitate the development of client centred services responsive to the needs of older people
The development of an integrated seamless service system that will improve consumer navigation of aged care services
Develop a proposal for a service mix based on client need and population projections
Develop a responsive remote/rural service model
Develop an integrated approach to prevention and health promotion for older people across the region, particularly in relation to disadvantaged population groups
Identify priorities for integrated health promotion activity and
Identify workforce issues and priorities to support an Integrated Aged Care Plan.
Based on a range of recent data regarding aged care services in Hume, and drawing from the Gap Analysis Report produced in Phase 3 of the project, the Final Report outlines a Hume Region Aged Care Service System Components, Model, and Planning Structure, as well as Recommendations, Strategies and Actions to achieve integrated and person centred aged care services in Hume Region.
The plan is available in full for download below.
Over 100 aged care providers in the Hume Region along with the Victorian Department of Health (DoH) and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) participated in the "Shaping the future of aged care
" Forum on the 28 March 2012 in Benalla.
There were presentations made on good practice in aged care such as the Alpine@Home model of integrated care; the Indigo Health Consortium; and the Transitions in care project which looks at the experiences and support needs of family carers when their family member enters residential aged care.
A number of 'person centred care' projects were profiled including PawPals in Wodonga - an initiative that provides assistance with care for pets when older people become increasingly frail; the use of dementia care mapping in Moira aged care facilities; and the sexual health and wellbeing of older people in aged care facilities.
The findings of the Aged Care Planning and Service Development Project consultations with the aged care sector were shared. The Forum presentation, a summary report and the full report is now available on this website.
The Forum participants engaged in discussion on the type of planning structures required and considerations in design - local approaches were favoured with the realisation that we also need to know the 'big picture' and how that impacts on local services caring for older people in communities.
The Forum closed with commitment from the hosts - Department of Health Hume Region, that there will be a "flexible and responsive approach to the aged care planning structures which will focus on integrated care, collaboration and information sharing."
Follow on Forums will soon be held more locally to establish the aged care planning structures. For more information, contact Jenny Ashby - East Hume Aged Care Planning and Service Development Co-ordinator, Email: ashbyje@ovensandking.org.au or phone 0417 843 623.
12 03 28 - Presentation - Shaping the Future of Aged Care in Hume Region - by Kim Turner and Jenny Ashby.pdf (0.22 MB) - Last modified 13th April 2012
12 03 28 - Presentation - What did you tell us by Kim Turner and Jenny Ashby.pdf (0.54 MB) - Last modified 13th April 2012
