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Aged Care

High quality health care for older South Australian’s

Better access to healthcare for South Australia’s priority poulation

Older people in regional areas

An estimated 110,000 adults, or 22% of the population aged 65 years and over reside in country South Australia. High proportion of older people are generally found in the outer regional Local Government Areas of the Country SA PHN region such as in the Fleurieu and Yorke Peninsula.

An ageing population

As this is predicted to rise to 27% over the next decade, CSAPHN is instrumental in improving access to high quality primary healthcare for older South Australians. As a priority population, the needs of older people are explored through our community advisory committees and clinical councils along with service providers, local health networks and general practice.

Preparation for population change

Currently, just over 22% of Country SA PHN’s population is aged over 65 years and this is predicted to increase to 27% over the next 12 years (2020-2032). While the average annual growth of population for over 65s is consistent across all our regions, some of our areas are going to be impacted differently by their overall population growth or decline over the next decade.

Improved health care

Assisting with the population growth

The regions closest to metropolitan Adelaide; Adelaide Hills, and Gawler – Two Wells SA3 are predicted to have the greatest overall population growth however, the proportion of population over 65 does not change as much as other regions with different population projections.

Fleurieu – Kangaroo Island, and Yorke Peninsula SA3s are both areas predicted to continue their growth as popular areas for retirement over the next decade. Country SA PHN will continue to increase support and capacity to assist with this growth.

Health Integration & Coordination

Country SA PHN

Commissioned programs

CSAPHN activities to support ageing

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Palliative Care

Sonder Care provide psychological interventions and palliative care planning in a service delivery model that meets the needs of those living with a progressive life limiting illness or receiving palliative care. Care coordination and psychological services utilise a team approach to address the needs of patients and provide support to their families.

Residential Aged Care Facility Telehealth Support

Support to Residential Aged Care Facilities to access afterhours medical support when the regular General Practitioner is not available is being provided by Summit Health’s Innovation Project. The service provides telehealth medical assessments using the SA Health endorsed platform Cisco Jabber to the on-call general practitioner located at EDcare.

Pharmacists in Residential Aged Care Service

To address the prevalence of medication-related problems in residential aged care, The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia delivers the Pharmacists in Residential Aged Care Service. This program aims to reduce inappropriate medications, medication-related adverse effects and hospitalisations, as well as improve quality use of medicines indicators such as reducing use of chemical restraints.

Embedding pharmacists into Residential Aged Care Facilities provides a collaborative service with pharmacists working with residents and their families, aged care staff, nurses, community pharmacists and other health professionals involved in the care of the resident.

My Aged Care Support

Council on the Ageing SA (COTA SA) provides the My Aged Care Support program to help older people understand and navigate aged care and the choices available to them locally. 

Advance Care Directive (ACD)

The Advance Care Directive (ACD) pilot project is also delivered by COTA SA. An ACD ensures that a person’s wishes are clearly articulated in the event that they are unable to communicate themselves: it is a process of planning for future health and personal care and allows a person’s preferences to be made clear to both family and care providers.

Regional Medication Management Support Service

The regional medication management support service is provided by the Drug and Therapeutic Information Service (DATIS) who facilitate Medication Advisory Committees, access to the therapeutics advice line and provide multidisciplinary education across the entire CSAPHN region. DATIS is currently undertaking a specific focus on palliative care medication.

Step down and Coordinator Service

Umoona Aged Care Aboriginal Corporation are funded to deliver the Step down and Coordinator service in Coober Pedy which provides essential support and follow up to patients on discharge from hospital to prevent readmissions.

Psychological Therapies in Residential Aged Care Facilities

Psychological therapies in Residential Aged Care Facilities service is provided by Mind Australia, Community Options Australia Limited, FocusOne Health, and Sonder. The program is an in-reach services to enable residents of Residential Aged Care Facilities with mental illness to access mental health services similar to those available in the community through the Better Access to psychologists, Psychiatrists and General Practice through the MBS Initiative (Better Access).