• Home
• Archives

Older patients benefit from new program

Wimmera Health Care Group has established a program to provide short-term support and active management for older people who have been in hospital.

The Transition Care Program will target older people—at the end of a hospital stay—who require more time and support in a non-hospital environment to complete their restorative process, optimise their functional capacity and finalise and access their longer-term care arrangements.

Manager of Sub-Acute Services Anne Richards said that the program would provide a range of support outside an acute hospital environment for older people to maximise their independence.

‘The new program can provide transition care for up to 12 weeks either in the person’s home or residential setting.

‘It will provide a range of services to aid an older person’s recovery,’ Mrs Richards said.

The Transition Care Program will offer low-intensity therapy services, nursing support and personal care services.

Mrs Richards said Transition Care’s primary function was therapeutic and included low-intensity services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, social work, personal care, medical support and case management.

The Transition Care Program is jointly funded by the State and Federal governments and has operated nationally since 2005.