Department of Health

Aged persons – intensive community treatment program

Key messages

  • The Intensive Community Treatment program in aged person’s mental health services is an alternative to acute care.
  • Under the program older people can be treated in their own home.
  • The Intensive Community Treatment (ICT) program in aged persons mental health (APMH) services is an alternative to acute inpatient beds.

The intensive community treatment (ICT) program in aged persons mental health (APMH) services is an alternative to acute inpatient beds.

The program aims to:

  • provide older people with an alternative treatment setting to hospitalisation during an acute phase of their mental illness, and prevent hospitalisation where possible
  • provide intensive treatment in the older person’s home during an acute phase of a mental illness, when the person and their family or carer expresses this wish
  • minimise the length of stay in an inpatient unit by providing ICT during an acute episode of illness.

The program’s target group includes:

  • older people whose acute treatment for their mental illness can be delivered safely in their home as an alternative to being admitted to an aged persons mental health acute bed
  • older people who have family or other carer supports available for the period of treatment
  • older people whose length of stay in hospital can be minimised through intensive treatment at home.

These services are not available in all catchments.

Reviewed 29 May 2015

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