Residential Aged Care

Older People

Country SA PHN funds a range of projects, programs, and resources designed to support residential aged care homes in enhancing the health and wellbeing of their residents.  These initiatives focus on better access to health services, enhanced clinical support and more coordinated person-centred care.

The following activities are being delivered to support residential aged care homes in our region:

• improve cross sector engagement and information sharing through Country SA Residential Aged Care Network.
• support the effective use of after-hours action plans to reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
• promote and support the use of digital tools and system integration.
• support access to services through increased use of telehealth.
• improve the coordination of care, particularly between general practice and residents of aged care homes through the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive.
• support to ensure residents and aged care staff are kept up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Country SA PHN facilitates a monthly Residential Aged Care Network meeting, bringing together professionals from across the sector to strengthen collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

This network provides a supportive forum for staff working in residential aged care to connect with peers, share practical insights and innovations, discuss common challenges, and explore new opportunities to improve resident care.

Whether you're looking for fresh ideas, practical support, or simply the chance to connect with others in the field, the Network offers a welcoming space to grow and contribute.

Please contact our team if you would like to be added to our distribution list for these meetings at [email protected].

As part of our response to the Australian Government’s Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Country SA PHN is providing guidance and assistance to residential aged care homes to have appropriate after-hours plans in place for residents.

Following are some strategies used to support this activity:

• support and assist aged care homes to develop/update and implement their after-hours action plans.
• raise awareness of care options in the after-hours period.
• support engagement between RACH and their residents' GPs, or other relevant health professionals.
• assist RACHs to implement procedures for keeping digital records up to date, particularly for episodes when after-hours was required.
• provide educational opportunities for staff in residential aged care homes to build capacity in utilising after-hours action plans and associated resources.

Online and hard copy resources have been developed to assist RACHs with implementing after-hours action plans. 

Please contact our team at [email protected] if you require any assistance or if you would like a copy of the resources.

The General Practice Aged Care Incentive (GPACI) is part of the Australian Government's broader efforts to improve healthcare access and continuity for older Australians, particularly in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce recommendations.

As noted by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, "eligible general practitioners (GPs) and practices registered with both MyMedicare and General Practice in Aged Care Incentive will be able to receive incentive payments. These incentive payments are for providing regular visits and care planning  to older people living in aged care."

As noted by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, "Responsible GPs and practices are required to meet the servicing requirements to be eligible for incentive payments, including delivering:

• "Two eligible care planning services over a 12- month period [and]
• "Two eligible regular visits per quarter, each in a separate calendar month, delivering at least 8 regular services over a 12-month period."

Patient eligibility:

• must "permanently live in a residential aged care home, not including respite care "
• be registered "with MyMedicare and link to an eligible practice and responsible GP"
• "have the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive indicator selected on their MyMedicare profile by their practice. "

How can RACHs assist?

GPACI-registered General Practitioners visiting your RACH may benefit from your assistance in signing up residents, if registration has not yet occurred.

You can assist residents to register for MyMedicare either through their Medicare online services or by supporting the completion of a registration form.  Residents are not required to attend a practice in-person for MyMedicare registration completion.

For more information about GPACI for residential aged care providers, view the Australian Government’s ‘Information kit for residential aged care providers: Understanding, communicating, and supporting the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive’ resource.

Additional Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Resources:

• Frequently asked questions for residential aged care providers
• Residential Aged Care Provider Staff Presentation
• Introduction to General Practice in Aged Care incentive - Webinar

For further information or to understand how this incentive works, please contact the aged care team at: [email protected].

The implementation of digital health tools can assist residential aged care homes in enhancing the quality of care provided to residents through better management of health records, more accurate tracking of health metrics, and streamlined communication with healthcare professionals.

Country SA PHN has received funding to support the following digital health initiatives:

Telehealth

This initiative aims to support timely access to primary health care professionals for residents and better equip residential aged care homes (RACHs) with telehealth capabilities by:

• assisting RACHs with telehealth facilities and equipment to enable virtual consultation with primary health care professionals.
• providing training for RACH staff to support them to have the capabilities to assist their residents in accessing virtual consultation services.
• promoting the use of enablers such as My Health Record to improve the availability and secure transfer of resident’s health care information between RACH, primary care and acute care.
• improve technological interoperability between the aged care and health systems.

COVID-19 vaccination is strongly encouraged for residents in aged care homes. It remains the most effective protection against serious illness, hospitalisation and death.

Country SA PHN continues to work with the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing in the management and monitoring of COVID Vaccination data to identify areas of improvement and increase uptake across the Country SA PHN region.  

For further information for aged care providers, workers and residents, including resources, click here.

If your RACH needs assistance, please contact our Aged Care Team for vaccination support at: [email protected]

Country SA PHN receives early intervention funding to support older people to live at home for as long as possible.  This activity aims to provide people with early intervention activities that will support healthy ageing and ongoing management of their chronic conditions, to minimise the effects on functional decline and deterioration as they advance in years.

This activity will commission early intervention activity to support:

• people with chronic condition self-management to minimise health decline and optimise health and wellbeing, and  
• carers, family, significant others, and health professionals in the management of people's care to support healthy ageing and reduce unnecessary transfers from home to hospital.  

The service currently funded under early intervention is:

The Nightingale Program - Dementia Australia

The Nightingale Program is a palliative model of advanced dementia care.  The service is available free of charge and provides strategies and advice to support people living with advanced dementia, their families and care providers, with a focus on promoting choice, well-being and forward planning.  

The program supports people living at home, in residential aged care and community settings.

For further information including how to access the program please visit Dementia Australia or download a brochure.

As noted by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, "The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified medication management and safety in residential aged care homes as an essential area for improvement."

The ACOP Measure provides funding to engage aged care credentialed pharmacists to work on-site in RACHs in a clinical role to improve medication management for residents.

The ACOP Measure aims to:

• increase uptake of aged care on-site pharmacists
• minimise the risk of medication-related harm
• ensure safer use of high-risk and complex medications
• provide consistent medication oversight for residents
• offer real-time support and advice to staff and residents
• strengthen teamwork between nursing staff, GPs, and local pharmacies

For further information, visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website, or contact Country SA PHN at: [email protected].