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Better Sooner More Convenient Primary Care - New Zealand Doctor

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Appendix Eleven: Frail older people<br />

1. Aspirational statement:<br />

Frail older people and others with long term disabling conditions will be able to access support<br />

services that are timely, flexible and appropriate to their individual needs and those of their<br />

carers.<br />

The pathway of care among primary, secondary and community based services for older people<br />

and those with long term disabling conditions will operate smoothly with excellent informationsharing<br />

among all services and with people and their families.<br />

All health and support service workers will be proactive in helping the person and their carers<br />

maintain and regain their functional abilities and prevent further illness or injury.<br />

2 Problem definition<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Lack of clarity/agreement on appropriate pathway of care for frail older people, within<br />

Grey Hospital as well as between hospital and primary health services and home based<br />

and residential care services.<br />

Stroke patients not transferred to specialist care soon enough and sometimes not at all,<br />

and national stroke guidelines have not yet been adopted.<br />

Opportunities missed for keeping frail older people fit and well and preventing admission<br />

to the acute hospital and to long term residential care – lack of a pro-active approach to<br />

reducing the risks of avoidable hospital admission or rest home entry.<br />

Frail older patients admitted to the acute medical and surgical wards or presenting at<br />

ED are not always appropriately referred to specialist Health of Older Peoples services.<br />

Lack of a shared client information system even among DHB services, let alone primary<br />

care, home support or residential care.<br />

Lack of step down beds for convalescence and slow stream rehabilitation, and continued<br />

inappropriate use of long term respite care and carer support budgets for this purpose.<br />

Over use of long term residential care (particularly rest home level) due to under<br />

development of home based alternatives, (eg. flexible homecare packages, planned<br />

respite, dementia day care, support for carers).<br />

Under development of home support services – most carers are untrained and casual,<br />

with limited supervision or linkage to district nursing, community allied health, <strong>Care</strong> Link<br />

or primary health services. Home support agencies cannot always provide staff for<br />

high/complex packages<br />

Business case appendices V12 AC 25Feb2010 Page 101

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