Hospital bed block pressures eased by funding. Nursing home beds with social work in-reach support
Misty Purdy1 1Canberra Health Services, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented pressure on hospital beds. To ease bed flow issues Canberra Hospital purchased beds in local Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) to expediate discharges of suitable patients at no cost to them nor utilising their My Aged Care respite funding.
Project implementation
Two inpatient social workers were reassigned to this scheme to:
•Identify suitable patients
•Arrange patient transfers to RACF
•Provide intensive in-reach support and discharge planning until permanent discharge destinations were secured
Four RACFs were engaged under this model of care, providing geographical coverage over Canberra’s suburban areas. Twenty-five patients transferred between August and October 2022.
Project results
There were many direct and indirect benefits for patients and the wider community, as well as the hospital and RACFs. Having a hospital-based social worker communicating between the hospital’s medical and multi-disciplinary teams and the RACFs created new working partnerships to prevent issues from developing and unnecessary hospital readmissions.
Patient feedback showed significant social and psychological benefits from minimising their hospital stay and reconnecting with community supports sooner. Ongoing social work interventions provided expert guidance to patients navigating complex aged care systems. Patients benefited from the opportunity to experience living in a RACF, with most patients choosing to remain at the transfer RACF permanently.
Future implications
This successful scheme has since been stood up quickly on three occasions to respond to hospital bed flow issues. It is now being trialled with long-stay patients and as early intervention for those identified at risk of long hospital stays.
Biography
Biographies to come