Aged Care
Program Officer
Jason Phillips - ph1300 986 991 | j.phillips@cesphn.com.au
Objective: Central and Eastern Sydney PHN works to improve access to high quality primary healthcare for older people, including residents of residential aged care facilities and older people living in the community.
Approximately 224,000 people, or 14 per cent of people in our region are aged 65 years and over. This number is predicted to increase a further 43% to 320,000 by 2031. To support the health needs of our older people, Central and Eastern Sydney PHN are providing a number of programs and initiatives focused on improving access to high quality primary healthcare.
For aged care clinical and referral pathways and resources, please view Sydney Healthpathways and South East Sydney Healthpathways
Read about the latest advice for all aged care providers in flood and weather emergencies here.
Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
Concurrent with the 2021-2022 Federal budget, the Federal government outlined its response to the final report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The response is packaged into ‘five response pillars’ aimed at guiding reform and delivering a new aged care system that rebuilds trust, provides dignity and respect, and is supported by continued investment.
Government response to the final report recommendations
- Government response to the Final Report recommendations
- Five Pillars over Five Years - one page snapshot of the governments aged care reforms
- Follow and track progress
Royal Commission Reports
CESPHN Submissions
CESPHN provided two submissions to the Aged Care Royal Commisison:
NSW Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline
The abuse of older people is a globally recognised issue that is increasingly becoming more prevalent. Research suggests that as many as 50,000 older people in NSW may have experienced some form of abuse and only one in five cases is reported. In the majority of cases the alledged abusers of older people turn out to be trusted family members, neighbours and paid carers. A range of tools exist to help better understand how to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation.
- Suspected abuse can be reported through the Ageing and Disability Helpline 1800 628 221 (Mon - Fri 9-5)
Elder Abuse resources
Advanced Care Planning
Central and Eastern Sydney PHN is working with GPs, nurses, practice managers and RACFs to embed Advance care planning in General practice. Starting discussions early when patients are still relatively well, avoids people missing out on the opportunity to plan for their future care.
The Advance Project
The Advance Project is a free evidence-based toolkit and training package funded by the Australian Governement Department of Health, designed to support GPs, nurses, and practice managers to initiate advance care planning conversations. Training consists of three different online training activities. All resources can be found at:
Other resources
- Advanced Care Plans and the law
- NSW Ministry of Health Advance Care Directive Form and Booklet
- NSW Government Attorney General's guide to assessing capacity
- Advance care planning for end of life for people with mental illness
- RACGP Advanced care planning
- Advanced Care Planning Australia
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander discussion starter
- End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC)
- Dementia Australia - Start2Talk
- Sydney Local Health District (Advance Care Planning - My Wishes)
NSW Ambulance Authorised care plans
NSW Ambulance authorised care plans allow GPs and Specialist service providers to provide authorisation and direction to patient treatment that can be delivered by NSW Ambulance paramedics.
- Authorised Care Plans
- NSW Amulance Authorised Adult General Care Plan - Form
- NSW Ambulance Authorised Adult Palliative Care Plan - Form
- NSW Ambulance patient referrals to GPs
pdf
(278 KB) - NSW Ambulance bookings to ED
- pdf Point of care testing in NSW Ambulance (389 KB)
Accessing Home and Residential Care services
The following services are available through the Australian Governments My Aged Care website.
- Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) (entry level services)
- Home Care Packages (higher level services)
- Retorative Care
- Transitional Care
- Respite
- Residential Accomodation
My Aged Care resources
Residential aged care facility support
Central and Eastern Sydney PHN provides funding and support to various Geriatric Flying Squads and Outreach Services operated by partner Local Health Districts and Hospital Networks. These services are intended to reduce the need for transfer to hospital by managing residents at their facility.
RACF Outreach services
Geriatric Flying Squads (GFS) and RACF Outreach service contact details
- Sutherland Shire Catchment area - Southcare GFS - 9540 7956
- St George GFS - 9113 3999 - Referrals pdf Form (647 KB) and GFS pdf flyer (210 KB)
- pdf (210 KB) War Memorial Hospital GFS - 9369 0400: WMF-GFS RACF pdf Flyer (373 KB)
- SLHD Outreach Program - 1300 722 276 : pdf Access Care Team Flyer (486 KB) , pdf RACF Outreach (803 KB)
RACF Clinical handover tool - Yellow envelope
Central and Eastern Sydney PHN has developed a Clinical handover tool (Yellow envelope) in collaboration with Local Health Districts partners and in consultation with RACF managers, for utilisation in transfer of residents from RACFs and hospitals. The purpose of the envelope is to improve the quality of clinical handover by ensuring critical resident information is communicated in writing during resident transfers.
CESPHN provides these envelopes to RACFs at no cost. If you require more envelopes, please contact the Jason Phillips at j.phillips@cesphn.com.au
Palliative Care
CESPHN is working with public and private providers including GPs and RACFs to improve access to safe quality palliative care. Program activities include supporting patient preferences for end of life care in their preferred location, integrating care between different existing services and service providers and enhancing confidence of GPs and RACFs staff to support patients with their palliative end of life care needs in their preferred location.
Resources
- Palliative Care Australia
- Palliative Care NSW
- NSW Palliative Care After Hours Helpline - 1800 548 225
- palliAGED online resource providing evidence-based information, practice guidance and resources on end of life and palliative care for aged care.
- CareSearch provides evidence-based end of life and palliative care information and resources for health professionals and patients carers and families to enable informed decision making and quality care across the life span and health care system.
- Palliative Care Clinical Guidelines developed by Calvary Health Care Kogarah and local GPs
Smartphone apps
- palliAGED Apps for clinicians
Dementia
An estimated 460,000 Australians living with Dementia, a number that is expected to increase to 590,000 by 2028, with costs expected to exceed 18.7 billion dollares per annum. With an estimated 1.6 million people in Australia helping care for someone with dementia, and more than half of all residents living in RACFs having a diagnosis of dementia, Central and Eastern Sydney PHN are working with local RACFs and family and carers of people with dementia to improve the knoweledge and skills needed and provide high quality care.
Resources
- Clinical Practice Guidelines and Principles for Care of People with Dementia
- Diagnosis, Treatment of Care for People with Dementia: Consumer Companion Guide
- Detecting Dementia in General Practice
- Dementia Australia
- Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services (DBMAS)
- Dementia Enabling Environments Project (DEEP)
- pdf Creating Dementia Friendly Communities (287 KB)
-
pdf
What is a Dementia Friend
(339 KB)
- Driving and Dementia
- pdf Eastern Sydney Dementia Directory of Services (904 KB)
- pdf (904 KB) Eastern Sydney Dementia Assessment Services Pathway
Useful Links for carers
My Aged Care
My Aged Care is the national entry point of access for aged care services and information. It consists of the My Aged Care website and contact centre (1800 200 422). Both provide information and referrals for clients and their carers to be assessed for Aged care services including residential and respite care.
Information, assessment and system navigation
Central and Eastern Sydney PHN is working with providers to ensure consumers are viewed as active partners throughout their care journey. This includes being provided the right information and resources to be part of decision making processes.
Resources
- Link to online referrals
- How to make an online referral
- Appointment of a representative to assist decision making form
- My Aged Care assessment portal for health professionals
- My Aged Care Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources
- My Aged Care resources for CALD people.
75+ Health Assessments
The 75+ Health Assessment provides an opportunity to improve the health of your older patients while also generating extra income for your practice. Conducting the 75+ Health Assessments is a great way to engage with your older practice population. It provides a structured way of identifying health issues and conditions that are potentially preventable or amenable to intervention.How does the 75+ Health Assessment help my business?
Completing 75+ Health Assessments helps to
- Build relationships and trust with your older patients, which may help their loyalty to you or your practice and make them more likely to come back for their future care.
- It is also likely that you will pick up on new health issues that need addressing, or existing conditions that are not being managed as well as they could be. This may lead to the patient being recalled to the practice for a GP Management Plan or a Mental Health Treatment Plan, which can improve the care of these patients and improve practice income.
- Provide protected time for planning supports that may be required to; maintain a patients’ current level of independence and mobility, assist patients stay socially active within their community and
- Provide protected time for Advanced care planning decisions.
Set up you Practice processes
Consider developing a practice policy and streamlining systems and processes within your practice.
Helpful tips
- Identify a team member who can identify eligible patients and recall them either using your clinical software or PEN / POLAR clinical audit Tool
- Check with Provider Digital Access (PRODA) to see if patients have already had a 75+ Health Assessment billed in the last 12 months before recalling
- Make sure your staff know the booking rules for health assessments - Time spent with the nurse and time spent with the GP
- Make sure your GPs are aware of the correct item number to be billed and the billing rules
- Review your practice current 75+ health assessment template and how it might be improved
- Ensure your GPs and nurses know where to record advance care plans or directives in the practice software
- Have a process to ensure patients are then put back on recall in 12 months for another assessment
- Regularly complete data cleansing activities to establish up to date lists (registers) of eligible patients due for the 75+ years health assessment
- Measure the baseline improvement in the percentage of 75+ Health Assessments in your practice
Plan your 75+ Health Assessments
Health assessments work best if done in a planned way.
Helpful tips
- Consider using a Practice nurse. A practice nurse can conduct the majority of the 75+ Health Assessment and may have more flexibility than a GP to visit a patient at home. The patient must still see the GP to follow up on findings and recommendations and for the item to be billed. By seeing the patient in their own environment, you may be able to detect problems that may not be obvious in the consulting room.
- Note: The patient can see the GP on a separate day, but processes need to be in place to alert the GP to complete and bill the assessment.
- It is also important to note that the 75+ Health Assessment item cannot be billed in conjunction with another consultation on the same day, except where it is clinically required (for example the patient has an acute problem that needs to be managed separately from the assessment).
Medicare health assessment items
The below Medicare health assessment items can be claimed annually and include GP and Practice nurse time.
701 |
assessment lasting 30 minutes |
$59.35 |
703 |
assessment lasting 30-45 minutes |
$137.90 |
705 |
assessment lasting 45-60 minutes |
$190.30 |
707 |
assessment lasting 60 minutes |
$268.80 |
.For further information on 75+ Health assessments visit the Australian Government Department of Health 75+ Health Assessment webpage
Exercise Classes and Health information for older adults
Find an exercise program
To find an exercise programs available in your local area that suit your needs visit the Active and Healthy website. The website is designed to provide a high-quality on-line directory of physical activity programs and evidence-based information for older people on the benefits of physical activity and ways in which you can increase your levels of physical activity and improve your strength and balance.
To search for a program in your area visit the Active and Healthy website .
Healthy and Active for Life Online
What is Healthy and Active for Life Online?
Healthy and Active for Life Online is a FREE 10-week healthy lifestyle program for adults aged 60 years* and over. Each 10-week program begins at the start of the school term. It is designed for those looking to make lifestyle changes and get active.
How does it work?
The program is delivered online, in the comfort of your own home, by logging in to your online account where you complete the weekly healthy lifestyle modules and exercises videos.
To register and find out more about the Healthy and Active for Life Online program visit: https://www.activeandhealthy.nsw.gov.au/home/healthy-and-active-for-life-online/
Stepping On
What is Stepping On?
The Stepping On program is a falls prevention program for over 65's that aims to reduce the incidence of falls in older people by teaching simple strength and balance exercises.The educational program promotes independence and builds confidence, with presentations by experts in their field, on topics relating to falls risk. The program is delivered over seven consecutive weeks followed by a booster session after two months. To learn more and register for the program contact your local stepping on coordinator via the below links. GPs and allied health professionals can access a referral form at these web links also.