Health services integrated into aged care

A NEW community health care hub is on its way to Noble Park.
It will be incorporated into TLC Aged Care’s Noble Manor aged care home in Frank Street as part of a $120 million strategy to revitalise residential aged care in Victoria.
The community health care hub will include general practitioners, retail pharmacy, physiotherapy, radiology, pathology, telehealth and other allied health services.
There will also be a new emphasis on day respite care to make it easier for families to keep their elderly relatives in their own homes for longer.
TLC will also open playgrounds and outdoor entertainment areas in its homes to encourage families to visit elderly relatives and use the on-site primary health care services.
The local community will also be able to access the centre.
Introducing primary care services to aged care homes and opening them up to the community is a first for Australia.
TLC CEO Lou Pascuzzi said the residential aged care industry was overdue for an overhaul and innovation.
“Integrating aged care accommodation with primary health care is the only way to improve the standard of care while creating opportunities to reduce costs by improving co-ordination of government funding,” he said.
“We cannot continue with existing healthcare models that are becoming financially untenable for present day government and will only get worse over time.”
Mr Pascuzzi said that for residents, the services would provide certainty of medical supervision, continuity of care, reduced clinical errors, better clinical outcomes, greater convenience, and access to a wide range of activities improving their wellbeing and connection to the local community.
Medical professionals and health service providers will have access to the latest infrastructure, chronic disease and general nursing support, on-site diagnostic services, IT and administration support services.