17 July 2007

Media statement in response to request for information from Gabriel Wingate-Pearse (Newcastle Herald)

Please attribute the following statements to Hunter New England Health’s Director of Primary and Community Networks, Scott McLachlan:

• With our aging population there are more and more older people with high care needs. Matching patients and facilities can be a complex task, particularly if the patient has specific medical/behavioural or rehabilitation needs
• In recognition of these specific needs, HNE Health has established two specific transitional aged care units to facilitate the smooth transition for patients requiring aged care placements – The Short Terms Residential Accommodation Service at Belmont (20 beds), and the Transitional Aged Care Unit at Kurri (10 beds)
• In addition to these facilities, HNE Health is working with both the Commonwealth and State Governments to provide community packages to provide short term support for patients with the objective of keeping them well and out of hospital.
• These Transitional Aged Care Packages are particularly useful for older people recovering from an illness or injury (such as a hip replacement) to allow them to rehabilitate at home rather than in a hospital where immobilisation often causes further deterioration and muscle wastage. These packages help people to get on their feet and back to their pre-illness health.
• We may still have a some way to go to provide for all older people in the most appropriate manner, but we are moving more and more in that direction every day.
• Hunter New England Health recognises that there are some patients in acute care facilities awaiting placement to a Commonwealth funded aged care facility (either a nursing home for high care, or aged care hostel for low care)
• Out of a total of more than 1800 hospital beds, there are currently 65 patients in our hospitals across the Greater Newcastle, Upper and Lower Hunter Clusters, who are medically stable and could be placed tomorrow if an aged care bed became available that was able to meet the needs of the patient.
• There are more patients who are not medically stable or are in the process of being assessed and recommended for aged care placement.

Contact: Kay Cope

Phone: 6776 9817